Johannes Hoffmann – Clothesline Socks (Herzen Blau)

From July 16 to 20, 2026, visitors will have one of the best opportunities to experience the Cologne Academy of Media Arts, and to get to know its students and graduates through their artistic projects from the various areas of focus within “Media Arts.” Matjö is participating as a satellite venue and presenting the 8-channel sound installation*Clothesline Socks (Herzen Blau)* by Johannes Hoffmann.

Over 100 blue socks hang from clotheslines stretched across the room. “What I mean when I say that hearts are blue,” they whisper, looking at us with googly eyes. 

Like an incantation, this phrase runs through the composition*Herzen Blau*—overlapping fragments that blend with a soundscape emanating from the back room. “You just sliced lemons into thin slices on the stainless steel,” comes the voice amid dripping milk, poppy seeds, and smoke rising from sad eyes— “A little sip of ice water!”

Herzen Blauhas previously been performed as a solo piece by Jojo Sélavy and is now being presented for the first time as a spatial installation. Clothesline Socks have also spoken another piece before—back when they were still white.

“In this work, I want to take language to a place where it’s less about understanding and more about physical sensation—something that allows you to move freely. It takes on a face, a small, soft body, and hangs from a clothesline.”