Show Me The Money: Solo Ronald van der Kemp || Special by Jessi Strixner || Joana Schneider

'The exhibition by fashion designer Ronald van der Kemp, titled "Show me the money!" will commence on Saturday, May 25th. In the current year, Rademakers gallery aims to prioritize Art, Fashion, and Design while also emphasizing sustainability.

The art collection by van der Kemp includes a handmade, tailored jacket in gold leather with gold and black brocade. The ceramic buttons seem to be directly inspired by Dalí and the pockets contain real euro notes: the colourful shreds of paper money come from misprints of De Nederlandsche Bank. "I like that: the value of paper gets a new value via devaluation," says Van der Kemp. The couturier also turns trash into treasure with the matching bag: the square handbag with gold chain is a refined shiny treasure chest, a piece of jewelry. Based on his love for clothes and crafts, Van der Kemp creates, generously using existing fabrics and other residual materials that have been discarded by others. In this way, the couturier gives those materials a beauty and an exuberant second life as glamorous vintage couture pieces containing a mix of ethics, aesthetics, creativity, and imperfection, with which he tries to get under people's skin, make them aware and incite them to action and change.

The pioneer who was already upcycling when the word did not yet exist, sees fashion as a multidisciplinary art form in which all flavors are mixed like ingredients in a blender. Whether he paints and sketches or makes collages, films and statement couture pieces: a 3D collage can become hand-painted fabric for an evening dress, but why not also adorn a ceiling? A striking geometric gold paper mache bag is also an art object. And from a couture dress in a huge frame, he makes a painting for the wall, but when taken out of the frame, the dress is again a wearable work of art.

 “Anything can come together, I never know what it's going to be. I work very intuitively; I also want to be stimulated and surprised,” he says about the process. It is a kind of antidote to the fashion houses and chains around the world that offer the same uniformity. “Perfection is cold and lifeless, while fashion lovers want something special that is also very well made.” This strengthens his idea of creating unique pieces that have a soul. “I love the beauty of imperfections. A raw edge is exciting. You should be able to see that it has been worked on by hand and with love.” This applies to all his works in which he uses a combination of materials to express his feelings about what is happening in the world and how he relates to it.

Textile caught in wood

Besides Ronald van der Kemp's quirky haute couture, Jessica Strixner's clothes can also be called remarkable: she cuts them out of wood. The artist often designs with a wink. She puzzles us by taking everyday garments out of context and elevating them from wearables to iconic works of art out of this unusual material.

 In the gallery, wooden sports jackets and T-shirts hang on the wall, separating garments from everyday reality and the person wearing them. Carefully cut from a single piece of lime or oak wood and painted with acrylic colours, Jessi Strixner gives the hard material the softness of smoothly fitting textiles with detailed folds in the 'fabric'. Fashion is an inexhaustible subject and wood remains her favorite artistic medium. 

Statements and trends

Strixner grew up in a family of artisan woodworkers; she followed in their footsteps, although she chose the path of the arts. She cannot imagine ever expressing herself in any other material, although she has once crafted a bronze jacket. Fashion is also undeniably her subject. "Clothing has a big impact on our daily lives," she says. "People express themselves with it, they derive their identity from it. With your clothing style, you can make a political statement or look strong while being shy. I find that super interesting." "In addition, the phenomenon of trends attracts her attention: what is cool within fashion and how trends come and go like waves in the sea. "I love catching the zeitgeist. Or: “I like to capture the spirit of the times.

 For example, my father used to wear sports socks in his sneakers. I was quite embarrassed by it, it was definitely not cool. This generation has rediscovered the sports sock." Simultaneously with the trendy sports sock, the street scene in Munich, the city where she lives and works, is defined by caps and hats. And she had not made these before either; handcrafting sometimes rather complex sun visors, baseball caps and hats, proved to be a new challenge.

It's not just garments that transform into hand-carved iconic sculptures in a few days under Strixner's hands; she doesn't shy away from a banana or teddy bear either. She is good at putting her messages on Post-its and T-shirts, and an orchid (titled 'Orchis') the artist also liked to craft for its symbolism. "The flower, which evokes the association with a vagina, represents feminism, sexuality and fertility," she says.

Aside from work by Ronald van der Kemp and Jessi Strixner, we have sustainable textile artworks by Joana Schneider. She created creates spacious installations and sculptural environments that present a sustainable contact with organic materials while shedding light on local creativity and industry. She offers an unique perspective on sustainable art. The monumental textile works are provoking pieces, demonstrating an innovative approach to the medium.

As one of our best-selling artists, Joana's artworks have a tendency to fly off the shelves. However, despite of their popularity, we are trilled to announce that a select few of her artworks will be on display for all to admire. Joana's work is a captivation exploration of textile artistry, showcasing a profound appreciation for traditional craftmanship.