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This fragment is part of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" carpet.
Through the fragment we trace the journey of the fragment owners and their collabs as they explore, experiment and creatively advance socially relevant themes. Here is the fragment as we are sending it on this three and a half-year journey.
Follow this story to observe the transformations the fragment undergoes over the course of these years...
...AND ON WE GO
...with Renzo Fernando Herrera Moreno
The Dragon is coming...!
Today, a piece of carpet from the Museum for Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin arrives at my home, thanks to the international sponsorship of the shipping company DHL. After a long journey from the German capital, passing through the United Kingdom, Barbados, Panama, and finally Venezuela, where it was received by my granddaughter Valentina in Barquisimeto.
But fear not: it's not an original piece; it's a reproduction of a 17th-century Caucasian carpet, which is usually exhibited at Pergamon Museum, on Museum Island.
The Dragon came to us... in Venezuela!
And we are very glad to meet it in home as a family, to follow the web of experiences based on personal, family, and community history.
At home, the rug means welcome and acceptance of all without distinction: relatives, friends, neighbors, strangers and locals, visitors or just passing through, similar or different. We are all equal. We have equal value!
Like the Caucasus Dragon, whose strength and majesty have spanned centuries and continents, may this replica brought from the Pergamon Museum inspire our city of Araure to continue weaving dreams of resilience, history, and grandeur that transcend time.
In the heart of my home, in Araure, Portuguesa, Venezuela, the joy of celebrating my birthday is uniquely intertwined with the commemoration of International Roma Day. Today, April 8th, the warmth of family expands, symbolically embracing a community rich in history and tradition, while a unique piece accompanies our space: fragment #9 of the replica of the majestic 17th-century Caucasian Dragon Carpet, brought directly from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin and the halls of the Museum for Islamic Art. This carpet, with its intricate designs and colors evoking centuries of woven stories, becomes an expressive witness to this special day. Its tight knots seem to whisper tales of travel, of cultural encounters, of the tenacity of the human spirit that transcends borders. When contemplating its motifs, I feel a deep connection with that "Weaving the Future" by the CulturalxCollabs project, an initiative that allows me to receive this work of art at home, which feels like a tangible bridge between my experiences and the collective experience of migratory interculturality.
Caucasian Dragon visiting the Germany of the Caribbean.
The first German immigrants arrived in Colonia Tovar in the 19th century.
After the Wars of Independence, the countries of South America faced a new scenario: they had won freedom, but their lands had been ruined. The settlement's founding in 1843 was due to the agrarian colonization program promoted by General José Antonio Páez Herrera, my ancestor, who, after sponsoring Venezuela's separation from Gran Colombia, wished to rebuild the economy of the depopulated country by leveraging immigration. Its creation was the result of this official effort in the early years of the Republic to populate areas of the country with immigrants. It owes its name to the Venezuelan politician, lawyer, and diplomat Manuel Felipe Tovar, who donated land located in the state of Aragua, in north-central Venezuela, for this group of immigrants to settle there.
Colonia Tovar is located at almost 2,000 meters above sea level...
...in the Central Coastal Mountains of the Cordillera de la Costa (Walking Distance). It is surrounded by a lush, green mountainous landscape.
"The German village of Venezuela," Colonia Tovar, is one of the most interesting cultural counterpoints and ethnic rarities in South America. This charming corner of Venezuela feels like a German city in the heart of Aragua state. Strolling through its cobblestone streets allows to enjoy the German-style architecture and the beauty of the well-kept gardens that adorn the houses and streets.
The inhabitants of Colonia Tovar, known as "colonieros," are descendants of the German immigrants...
...who founded the town in the 19th century. They have preserved many of their traditions, customs, and dialect. The community is famous for its Bavarian-style architecture, agriculture, and rural lifestyle. Despite the influence of Spanish, the colonieros continue to maintain a strong German identity, reflected in their way of life, traditions, and language. The "Colonieros German" dialect is a blend of German and Spanish and is an important part of the local culture. The colonieros are known for their hospitality and their love for the land. Colonia Tovar is a place where tradition and progress go hand in hand, where German culture lives on in a Caribbean setting.
Colonia Tovar has become a popular tourist destination...
...notable for its scenic beauty, cool climate, and unique atmosphere. Today, Colonia Tovar is recognized as a German enclave in Venezuela, a place where the culture and history of the community remain alive. Colonia Tovar has left an important cultural legacy in our country, with its architecture, cuisine, and traditions. It exemplifies the country's cultural diversity and the importance of immigration in its development. With family and friends, since I was a child, I have enjoyed its beautiful and welcoming landscapes.
The Caucasian Dragon, which has traveled from the heart of Europe to our Venezuelan homeland...
...is a bridge that unites the history of Germany on the Old Continent with the strength of the migrants who, in Venezuela, wove their dreams in Colonia Tovar. May its presence inspire us to continue interweaving cultures, traditions, and hopes into a single canvas of unity and legacy.
The journey begins...
...with Fine Aufmkolk
#1: The Desire to Do Justice to Something Special
When the carpet came to me,
I didn't know what to do with it.
I waited, perplexed,
for us to warm up over time.
But he just lay there,
stubborn, reproachful.
Now he's leaving again,
but he's leaving a void behind.
#2: Metamorphosis and Resemblance
When the carpet becomes a landscape, scales become distorted.
The surface curves, lakes and rivers sneak into valleys.
Trees fray into smudged groves.
Meadows flow into the lowlands and clothe the slopes.
We get down on our knees and crawl into a world of threads and loops and colors and
invisible history, which can only be imagined without knowledge.
It remains hidden behind the beauty, both in the landscape and in the carpet.
#3: Pinocchio
The blue man is one of the few, if not the only, figurative elements on the carpet.
He takes on a life of his own.
He stands up and makes his escape, setting off into the wide world.
He multiplies and becomes many.
He deconstructs himself and transforms his varied form.
I would gladly wear him as a brooch or pendant; if I collected tattoos, he would be a part of me.
And so he would remain as a memory of my carpet piece #9.
Front and Back
About the Project
The Museum for Islamic Art's project, #CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the future, celebrates the transformative power of cultural exchange and the shared threads that unite us all. All the things we love, have loved and will ever love come from cultural exchange, migration and diversity, or as we like to call it #CulturalxCollabs.
100 carpet fragments, cut from a replica of the iconic dragon carpet, will travel the world (delivered by DHL). The fragments will ignite #CulturalxCollabs with co-creators, inspiring human ingenuity, fostering community and ultimately demonstrating how cultural exchange enriches all our lives.
Follow #CulturalxCollabs on Instagram as the project unfolds...
...or learn more here
Weaving the Future
Join us on a journey with 100 carpet fragments as they travel around the world for three and a half years, finding temporary homes while bridging cultural boundaries, fostering worldwide community united by the power of human stories.
Fragment Journeys
100 carpet fragments part of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" project. Follow their journeys through the ever changing owners' over three and a half years.
Where is the Dragon?
The star of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" project is a so-called Caucasian dragon carpet from the 17th century. A dragon carpet - all well and good - but: where is the dragon?
