Ariel Schlesinger's fascination with fire was sparked by his discovery of an ancient Turkmenistan carpet from the Pergamon Museum's collection in Berlin, which had been damaged during one of the final bombing raids of World War II. When unrolled, the carpet revealed a distinct pattern of burnt holes, a result of the way it had been rolled up during the impact. The damage spread across the entire fabric, with the holes gradually decreasing in size.

Schlesinger was struck by the paradox of the event: the destruction of the object had, in a way, breathed new life into it. The carpet now carried the weight of history, embodying both the trauma and memory of the war, along with an unexpected beauty. This notion of disaster revealing hidden qualities inspired Schlesinger’s use of fire as a transformative force in his art.

By subjecting the rolled carpet to an open flame, the artist relinquished control over the final outcome, allowing unpredictable burn marks to emerge. Schlesinger's work explores the intrinsic connection between creation and destruction, with fire symbolizing both devastation and the potential for progress and transformation—an essential force in the evolution of human civilization.