Reto Pulfer (*1981 in Berne/CH) transforms architecture. With self-sewn tents, oversized lengths of fabric, repurposed bedsheets, and colored 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», the artist is planning a new installation piece for the Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen. An elongated, semi-transparent corridor made from converted fabrics will redefine the rooms on the ground floor of the 120-year-old warehouse. In combination with existing works, embroideries and a new woven piece, Reto Pulfer makes reference to the centuries-old textile tradition of the city of St.Gallen. Pulfer places particular importance on the ecological use of materials, which is why he primarily works with repurposed and recycled pieces of fabric. He will also create a site-specific work in the outdoor space of the Kunst Halle, 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. With gardening and engaging in nature as central practices in his work, Pulfer will create a habitat for nettle plants in the backyard of the Kunst Halle, connecting his architectural transformations to the public space.
The exhibition by Reto Pulfer is made possible by Abteilung Kultur Basel-Stadt, LANDIS & GYR STIFTUNG, Erna und Curt Burgauer Stiftung and Dr. Georg und Josi Guggenheim-Stiftung.
