Text by Marina Rüdiger

FOIS is the first solo exhibition by the Danish artist Rasmus Søndergaard Johannsen in Frankfurt am Main. FOIS (French for “time”) also embodies the overarching theme of the exhibition: The groups of works exhibited, Patterns (2020-2021), Lineated Luminary (2015-2019) and the new work Wound (2022), all have a repetitive moment in common. This spans the magic of the “première fois” – the first iteration of a pattern, the first manifestation of an action – and the “dernière fois”, the last time: a point of completion and finalisation when things come to a halt. Extending between these two times, Rasmus Søndergaard Johannsen’s works describe a rhythm that reflects the specific characteristics of producing and designing textile art while also affording space to the symbolic charge of its materials.

Lineated Luminary consists of frames of woven textiles made from stinging nettles that were gathered by night at a specific wasteland site in Berlin. The fibres were extracted from these nettles, spun and woven. The resulting textile structure was treated with a photosensitive emulsion and returned to the same place where the nettles were harvested. The frame was illuminated by the moon all night long. Anything that fell onto the surfaces created a shadow and remained unexposed, while the rest of the fabric darkened to a shade of indigo.

Patterns is inspired by the ideologically driven nature of textile production in Russia in the early 20th century. Protagonists of Cubism like Varvara Stepanova created designs for durable garments suitable for mass production. In the spirit of aesthetic transformation, the abstract design principles of colour fields, lines and basic geometric shapes were applied to specific consumer goods such as clothing, interiors and graphic design. Today, they remain an expression of the utopia that once sought to break down hierarchical structures in society and the barriers between art, craftsmanship and industrial production.

Wound is composed of abnormally large handmade tassels. It brings together the topics addressed by Lineated Luminary, which embodies time in textile form, and the Patterns series, which appropriates textiles whose design conveys a message that extends from the present into the future. In the same way as for Lineated Luminary, the individual elements of Wound are carefully crafted by hand. As well as bearing witness to the laborious work involved in their creation, the tassels embody different forms of power and call this power into question. The designs of the tassels are inspired by military uniforms, curtains and BDSM toys. In this way, they reflect private and public chastisement and playful, orchestrated and institutionalised power imbalances.

Born in Denmark, Rasmus Søndergaard Johannsen studied under Peter Fischli and Simon Starling at the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main from 2008 to 2014. Since beginning his studies, he has worked on long-term projects that require him to familiarise himself with the preparatory and work techniques of master craftsmen and technicians. The repetitive processes involved in production, rhythms of action and pattern repeats typically provide the starting point for the content and form of his work. This necessarily means that every element is handmade. Rasmus Søndergaard Johannsen has exhibited his work in locations including Prague, Antwerp, Paris, New York City, Copenhagen, Berlin, Stockholm and London. His first solo exhibition in Frankfurt am Main marks his departure from Germany as he relocates from Berlin to Denmark.