Jan Lütjohann
BLEU DE TRAVAIL
October 4—31, 2025
Open Wed—Fri 1—6 PM, Sat—Sun 12—4 PM
Welcome to the opening event on Friday October 3rd, at 6— 9 PM
Bleu De Travail (2021 – ongoing) is a series of sculptures and workshops by Jan Lütjohann. It’s also the first of his exhibitions that includes textile works and color. The series grew out of fondness for the color blue, the habit of repairing his own work-clothing by hand, and being too tall to buy suitable clothes in shops.
The name Bleu De Travail comes from the French expression for blue working garments and has similar cultural connotations in different languages, such as blue-collar, 蓝领 / 藍領 / Lánlǐng, sinikaulustyöntekijä, blåställ, blåkläder, and Blaumann. These words and garments are also interwoven with the history of work and globalization, and the commodification of labor into everyday practices such as in blue jeans.
The exhibition includes three kinds of textile pieces that have grown from Jan’s everyday artistic work with wood and tools: (1) fixed working clothes, (2) quilted fabrics for working on the floor, and (3) rags for cleaning the workplace and equipment. The layered fabrics are comprised of worn-out clothes and other reclaimed, recycled and found textiles. The stitching was done incrementally, during meetings, workshops, rest, or whenever repairs were urgent.
The exhibition includes a series of workshops in which participants combine repairing textiles by hand, socializing, and peer support. They are aimed at participants with all levels of textile-related skills, from complete beginners to experienced. Participants are welcome to bring textiles of any color, form or material they wish to repair or work on. Workshops are organized on an ongoing basis and free – anyone can propose a time and location.
Lütjohann’s artistic work towards this project has been supported by the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Kone Foundation, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and IASPIS, Nordic Artists Centre Dale, Treasure Hill Artist Village in Taipei, and everyone who has joined the sewing workshops and shared their time.
Jan Lütjohann (b. 1987, Kiel) is a sculptor and educator who lives and works in Helsinki. He uses pre-industrial tools and obsolete technology to contemplate on working with hands in the present and future. Working entirely by hand enables him to take his tools anywhere and to connect with people and different forms of knowledge. His sculptures and installations often take the shape of tools, equipment, and workspaces. In his workshops, participants use hands and tools to reflect on their agency in their material and immaterial environment.