Black Distance is a site-specific installation of large-scale black fabric sculptures from recent years, meticulously assembled by hand, evoking imaginary hybrid creatures that are both dystopian and utopian, wild and aesthetic. Tessy Cohen Pfeffer embroiders her works with a wide range of mundane materials, including variously textured textiles, from opulent satin to faux furs. Through painstaking labor, she weaves decorative elements together that hark back to ancient feminine crafts. She infuses movement in her still sculptures, spawning surprising aesthetic connections that guide the viewer into thought-provoking, imaginative realms. The exhibition’s title is borrowed from David Fogel’s poem, “On Autumn Nights,” reflecting Cohen Pfeffer’s profound sensitivity to language. Words serve her as an additional raw material, shaping the formal structure of her works, their internal rhythm, and the way they are experienced by the viewer.

The works on view were born from Cohen Pfeffer’s deep love for animals, movement, and life itself. The use of frugal, everyday materials alludes to various movements in art history: from Surrealism and Dada to Italian Arte povera, while also aligning with the female sculpture of artists like Annette Messager and Louise Bourgeois. Far from gloomy, the black that dominates her work is imbued with humor, infusing the pieces with playfulness and imagination. Her works incorporate readymade objects, such as gloves, wool, ladders, and hoops. They are marked by visual richness, steeped in deep knowledge and emotion, blending seamlessly into an elegant installation. The exhibition offers an immersive, stimulating yet intimate sensory experience, complemented by an original sound work that echoes the space and resonates within it.