MAPS (BULLET RUG SERIES)

Artist collective: DETEXT (Spain, United States); Locations: Colombia, Guatemala, Lebanon, Mexico, Spain, United States (countries where bullet casings have been collected); Years: 2013–present

In the Maps series, Raúl Martínez gathers discarded bullet casings, weaving them by hand into shimmering rugs to tell hidden stories. Each casing is marked with a manufacturer’s code and country of origin and can thus be used to track international arms trafficking routes, backdoor diplomacy, and secret military interventions, exposing the complex economics that underpin gun violence. The first rug in the series, made of 9mm casings gathered in Guatemala, is stamped with marks from the United States, Russia, and Israel—the three main suppliers of weapons during the country’s civil war.

Image: DETEXT’s Raúl Martínez weaves a bullet rug; Credit: Courtesy of Raúl Martínez