99 PROMISES

Installation; 111 Front Street (Brooklyn, NY).

In “99 Promises,” the Sator Square, a common motif in early American folk magic, is put to the test. Historically, people in rural communities embroidered the four line palindrome on handkerchiefs or necklaces and keep it on their person to ward off danger and illness. “Sator” in Latin means “sower” or “planter.” Fankhauser embroidered ninety-nine individual patches with the Sator Square, took them with to sexual encounters arranged through various online dating apps, and used them as cum rags. The individual patches were pieced together and the resulting body of work includes a gradually discoloring quilt and other protective domestic charms like handmade dolls, hand-dyed fabric, treasure boxes, and animal remains.