Reto Pulfer: Fachzustand

Reto Pulfer (b. 1981 in Berne, Switzerland) transforms architecture. With self-sewn tents, oversized lengths of fabric, repurposed bedsheets, and plant-dyed linen, the artist, raised in Arlesheim near Basel, turns existing spaces into translucent worlds. His textile universes don't offer any predetermined points of orientation. Instead, they are an opportunity to get lost and experience familiar surroundings in a new light. As visitors, we become integral parts of his installations, which he brings to life through performances and his own sound compositions.

For his solo show Fachzustand at Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, Reto Pulfer developed new installation pieces. An elongated, semi-transparent corridor made from converted cheesecloth redefines the rooms on the ground floor of the 120-year-old Lagerhaus. Pulfer also created a site-specific outdoor work, featuring the controversial stinging nettle as its protagonist. The plant, utilised for medicine, food, and textile raw material, already makes an appearance in Pulfer’s novel Gina. A Zustand Novel (2020/2022). With gardening and engaging in nature as central practices in his work, Pulfer established a habitat for nettle plants and calendula flowers in the backyard of the Kunst Halle, connecting his architectural transformations to the public space.

The exhibition title plays with two versatile concepts. Zustand, German for current state, hints at the ephemerality of Pulfer’s tent-like installations, shape-shifting in every show and often repurposed for newer arrangements. Zustand also refers to the state of mind that Pulfer’s works evoke by creating spaces of affect. Fach, a technical term from weaving, is dedicated to the centuries-old textile tradition of the St.Gallen region. In preparation for this solo show, Pulfer familiarised himself with weaving techniques, acquiring both a weaving frame and a loom. Fach is the term used to describe the shed, which is the temporary opening created between the warp yarns through which the weft is woven. It is a poetic and even musical space, dynamically opening and closing amidst taut strings. Fach also refers to field of expertise, considering that Pulfer’s self-taught practice spans many techniques and approaches.

The textile cosmos of Fachzustand will transform into a soundscape during both the Summer Party on July 6 and the Finissage on August 18, as Reto Pulfer invites us to a performance and concert featuring guest artists and some sound objects he built himself.

The exhibition by Reto Pulfer is made possible by LANDIS & GYR STIFTUNG, Erna und Curt Burgauer Stiftung and Dr. Georg und Josi Guggenheim-Stiftung.