The
Forumist
issue 5
Spirit
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In each issue of The Fourmist we explore subjects that are important to us. This time, after a dark and cold winter in the north, watching as the spring and the light revealed itself, we felt compelled to go deeper and search for a bigger purpose to create our fifth issue. The Forumist is put together by talented individuals of different generations, backgrounds, nationalities and histories, but running through the heart of all their life experiences is the need, every so often, to bring back some meaning to the fast-moving, demanding modern environment we inhabit. The need for reflection in order to recalibrate our motivation, strength and mindfulness. So it became clear that we should turn our focus towards one of this world’s most inspiring themes: SPIRIT. This is a subject with a far-reaching history that can be traced back to cultural, religious and mystical sources. It whispers to our conscious and unconscious selves every day, encouraging us to stop and consider what, why, how? Our contributors have translated their spiritual journeys for us. We hope the result will give you few more reasons to enjoy the simple beauty of life. Enjoy your summer. CoVER: Photography by jonathan hallam, Styling by Sara Dunn, dress by lana siberie
Editor-in-Chief Pejman Biroun Vand
Fashion Editor (Stockholm) Fiffi Jenkins
Sub-editor Sam Thackray
Creative Direction Daren Ellis
Fashion Editor (Paris) Théophile Hermand
Management Co-ordinator Lina Söderström
Managing Editor Gustav Bagge
Lifestyle Editor Axel Mörner
Contributing Designer Daniel Björkman
Marketing Manager Magnus Rindberg
Stockholm Editor Weronika Pérez Borjas
Fashion Editor (London) Sara Dunn
Paris Editor Sophie Faucillion
Contributing Editors Tor Bergman (Sthlm) Andrea Horn (Berlin) Aubrey Kia (LA) Julien Millet (Paris) Sophia Nilsson (Sthlm)
Contributing Photographers Aldo Carrera (LA) Jonathan Hallam (London) Eliot Lee Hazel (LA) Sofia Runarsdotter (Sthlm) Felix Swensson (Sthlm) Elise Toide (Paris) Louis Vignat (Berlin) Anti Wendel (Sthlm) Ophelia Wynne (London) Advertising ad@theforumist.com
Event Co-ordinator Jon Forsgren Web Producers and Partners Fröjd Printing Stibo Online Editors Tanya Kim Grassley Sidsel Löyche Gwyneth Pauline Suzor Clara Uddman
© 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publisher. The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily shared by the magazine www.theforumist.com info@theforumist.com
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And Breathe... Being mindful should be part of our every thought, movement and intention. The belief that this is higher-level humanity is something that we at The Forumist share with NOA Relaxation Words by Sophia Nilsson Photography by jonathan hallam Styling by Sara Dunn Special thanks to NOA Relaxation Those small moments. When we pause in between our goals to look and listen. When we discover our current destination. Those small moments that bring magic back into our lives. Taking a step back. When we realise it’s not a moment of failure, but a moment of collecting more energy to sharpen our focus for what’s coming. To make us able to feel the excitement. We’ve reached that time in our lives when our job defines who we are, the smartphone knows us better than our best friends do and the ticking clock is law. Therefore, it might also be the moment when we most need to take that step back. To let go. To find peace walking barefoot in the grass and to notice the birdsong during an early morning in spring. To look back at what once was natural to us and discover who we really are and what we value. So, how can we find mindfulness in the midst of our intense everyday life? We have to find our own ways. Only you know what makes you present. Nobody else does. For some it might be through singing or dancing, for others it might be deep meditation or yoga. Expand your aura so it becomes a divine shield, as taught in Kundalini yoga – a shield that will accompany you through your trials and tribulations and keep your focus intact. Connect your soul to the universal field by activating the power of the heart’s centre and walk through life positive, fearless and happy. All the noise generated by stress will be on silent mode. All that is left is the wind blowing. Take a deep breath and embrace the power of nature. Just look and listen, and then find something as natural as yourself. Through presence, meditation, nature. Through simplicity, purity, strength. Life is now, not later, and it’s not worth stressing about. So why run through it, when you can walk the distance and make the experience last longer? In this issue we are proud to represent NOA Relaxation, a brand that shares our philosophy. www.noarelaxation.com DRESs: Lana Siberie Hair: Mark Daniel Bailey at The London Style Agency Make-up: Celia Burton at CLM Model: Margarita Pugovka at Elite Casting: Simon Lewis at Cast & sElect
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The Young and the Restless Another Day in Paradise, Kids, Ken Park, The Smell of Us… Who isn’t familliar with Larry Clark’s work? The unrelenting filmography in which “teenagers push the boundaries, in search of an absolute, addicted to the feeling given by their boards when they ride the streets, stairs, empty pools” Words by Sophie Faucillion & Julien Millet All images by Larry Clark & EugÈne ricconeaus
The renowned film-maker and photographer Larry Clark does not skirt around the recurring subject matter he chooses. He likes to head straight into the dark maze of teenage life and get right to its heart. A lost generation, but not wasted yet. Sombre expectations… aren’t they usually hope’s vanishing point? Not for Clark: he demands a 360-degree panoramic view of the invisible burn that consumes our savage society without regret. Those kids distort life on their boards, drawing fast-approaching death ever closer. They face HIV, poverty and no future, and Clark immortalises them on film. The most emblematic of these films can be seen in the inspiring relationship that Clark has formed with Eugène Riconneaus, a footwear designer as fond of urban wear and liberty as Clark is. Their first encounter led to a pair of skate shoes designed by Clark for Riconneaus’s brand. Now, it is Riconneaus who has left his tracks on Clark’s work, seen in a collection of iconic photographs – the former multiplying, at every move, the intoxicating intensity of the latter’s artistry. Only a few weeks ago, many people rode over to 2 rue des Francs Bourgeois, Paris, to feast on these images at Géraldine Postel’s gallery, Outcasts Incorporated. It was Postel herself who gave us that earlier quote about Clark’s output. Hers is a location to remember – exhibitions there are always surprising, passionate and memorable. © Outcasts Studio, Paris
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art is for everyone.
EVERY TIME YOU WEAR BUCKETFEET, YOU SHARE AN ARTIST’S STORY WITH THE WORLD.
PINEAPPLEADE Designed by DJ LU | BOGATÁ, COLOMBIA 05
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“Dear Friend… ” A short correspondence with the wandering artist monk Tenzin Shenyen Interview by Tanya Kim Grassley Shenyen is the Tibetan word for friend. And Tenzin Shenyen is a British-born Tibetan Buddhist monk who received his monk’s vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in July 2004. Shenyen has spent a decade or so wandering around the world, and as he describes it, “Allowing the blessing of the tradition to mingle with the secular beauties of my own culture.” His office consists of a rolled-up copy of Artforum and an old Nokia 100. He thinks he can be contacted via his blog radioshenyen, but he’s not always sure. I managed to reach him just before he left a monastery and Buddhist university in Thailand, where he had been studying and teaching for a year. “Send me a few questions,” he said. “But be warned – I only answer questions that are both logical and beautiful.” What is spirituality? Answer #1: A teacher once asked, “How do you know what a candle is when you haven’t seen all the candles in the world?” If he had said “electronic devices”, the question would be easier to imagine, to relate to, but… candles? Can’t I at least be sure about what a candle is? Buddhist philosophy operates in that space – the space of not-knowing. And this not-knowing
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is the basis – the grammar – of spirituality in Buddhism. So, likewise, I want to say “I don’t know” to your question, not as an answer but as one of many possible responses. How can I possibly say what spirituality is when I haven’t “seen” all the spiritualities in the world?
They then try to squeeze themselves into an ancient Asian monastic model and it hardly ever works. It is easy to become listless and dull, emotionally starved and alienated from your own cultural roots and personal histories. This is not renunciation – it is a loss of nerve and a form of living in denial.
Answer #2: Spirituality is communion with The Invisibles. It is a relationship with that which closes your physical eyes. These closed eyes can be faked, or ritualistically assumed, or genuine. Only the latter is true spirituality. It is being open to the idea that existence is not just “us and the animals” within a cold dark universe. This openness begins in discipline, then acquires dignity and presence, then dissolves into grace and abandon. By discipline I mean sustained acts of faith and imagination.
You made a decision to not be attached to one home. What has that been like? It wasn’t a “conscious decision” so much as a pragmatic one. I was heading back to England after 11 years in Asia, I was a monk and wasn’t supposed to be looking for work or have a home. So I… just knew I was going to be homeless. And I just went with that reality. I accepted it – quite naively, actually, I would say. I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for. I bought a tent in London and then decided to wander in England. I thought, “Where’s the safest place to go?” And I headed towards Cornwall. I’d never put a tent up before in my life and suddenly I was in this farmer’s field outside Plymouth, without permission, in the dark. That year I slept in 93 different places – I wandered through Cornwall for a few months and then catapulted to Japan to do a 1,100km pilgrimage. I learnt so much about just trusting in situations. And also about how decisions often cannot be made until one is in the midst of the “landscape of answer”. The places I slept in, I simply couldn’t have planned it all out in advance. I had to be walking in the dark and tired and looking around me – in the landscape of answer. Being homeless in the UK as a monk is a “dual nationality” kind of thing – you’re semi criminal, as wild camping is illegal, and at the same time you’re the epitome of trustworthiness – I wear my robes. I guess it helps being a monk from Liverpool in this respect!
Answer #3: “A love? I love your father, certain black Madonnas from Africa, the flowers which grow by the Atlantic, difficult texts… and you.” From The Samurai by Julia Kristeva. What is the hardest part of your practice? The hardest part of my practice is remaining homeless and jobless while back in the West. I yearn for something bigger – and gentler(!) – than a tent to live in. Living as a homeless monk back in the West is a really powerful experience psychologically. It is an exercise in trust and in realising the nothingness of life, but it is also physically demanding and unfeasible beyond the summer months. So I’m beginning to think in terms of it as finding a part-time job or room somewhere. I’ve lived in western monasteries, but they often feel kind of jaded or false. I’ve seen westerners become monks and then forget that they are the products of the most individualistic, high-speed societies that ever existed on the planet.
What kind of concrete behaviours would you recommend to any lay person? Concrete behaviour – and concrete evidence – is
only one dimension to Buddhist practice. There is also “water” behaviour, “air” behaviour, “timelapse” behaviour, etc. For example, mindfulness practice has now entered the mainstream as a secular practice devoid of any religious dimension. And this is fine. Buddhism doesn’t own the copyright on mindfulness. But these “new” approaches, such as MBCT (mindfulness based cognitive therapy) or MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction) lack the existential vastness of Buddhist philosophy and cosmography. The modern secular forms really just deal with a kind of “local” problem and ignore the vaster existential problem – you reduce stress created by your workplace in order to… return to work and more stress. It is essentially nihilistic. Whereas, in Buddhism, you are practising in order to end all forms of suffering forever, to transcend having to have this kind of suffering body, even. Buddhism combines precise technique with existential vastness, and this dual flavour is where its power lies. Buddhism isn’t interested in changing the molecular structure of the brain – a bullet or cocaine can do that. It is interested in changing karma – the moment-by-moment “presencing” of reality – this is something that science can’t get a handle on. But bearing in mind what I said in my previous answer – about the dangers of just superstitiously adopting wholesale an alien culture – I would like to see people explore the existential practices of Buddhism and take them into contemporary settings. My personal “Buddhist universe” is a scattergun intermingling of Madhyamaka, cinema, ritual practice, communion with The Invisibles, ethics, architecture, Instagram, purification practices, #verysimpledecisionmaking, #onehomeayear, silence, high-speed-super-slow, contemporary art, study as one of the healing arts – the list is potentially endless. Read Tenzen Shenyen’s blog at radioshenyen.blogspot.se
MAIN PARTNERS
PARTNERS
The R’n’B Poltergeist AnnaMelina has emerged on the Swedish music sky like a delicate apparition. Her airy, atmospheric songs and intriguing videos have been showing up unexpectedly on the internet and discreetly injecting slow melodies into everybody’s heads Words by Weronika Pérez Borjas Photography by Anti Wendel Styling by Fiffi Jenkins 10
Like a charming ghost, the R’n’B singer AnnaMelina tempts you into her world and then goes silent again. But this summer, that musical poltergeist will make a real statement at Way Out West festival, performing alongside artists such as Patti Smith, Beck, Pet Shop Boys, Say Lou Lou, Courtney Barnett and Low Roar. With a record label and concerts lining up, she nevertheless remains a free spirit, insisting that, “The main reason for working with art is to make something from within. I keep the creative process very close to myself.”
and relationships, is very personal, and I want people who listen to it or watch it to feel connected in their own personal way. I guess I just want it all to feel very direct.”
What does being a free spirit mean to you? “Always being more curious than judgemental, and not being afraid to strive for what you feel will make you happy. Finding a balance between awareness and just trusting your instinct.”
In your song Minnas you talk about trying to get back to the person one is or used to be. How do you personally go about not losing your essence in the music world? “It’s something you need to think about once in a while when you’re in the music world. Personally, I just want to make sure the only fuel [I need] is how high I get from making music and not something else around it. I feel that I’ve haven’t ever come close to compromising that. Minnas was written more about a personal conflict than staying sane in the music industry.”
Your videos for Tills Det Blir Lätt and Minnas emanate a feeling of certain solitude. Why do you repeat the motif of being alone, either among people or in nature? “I’m not trying to keep other people out or make it ‘lonely’. But my music, even though I write about love
Your video for Minnas was made in Costa Rica. Was it a kind of spiritual trip for you to go there? What effect did it have on you? “At this time in my life I really needed sleep and calm. It was the absolutely perfect place for that. I got inspired mostly by being so close to nature. The
tide and the moon had a really great effect on me, and it was nice to feel so strongly that I am a part of the planet.” We hear you are going to play at Way Out West. How does that feel? “Very good. It’s great to be part of a well-known event that has so many amazing people involved. I feel really excited about the Stay Out West concept, which creates room for different kinds of artists and extends the festival in different club scenes around the area. I’m looking forward to it.” What direction would you like your free spirit to take you next? “I would like it to take me to be more experienced and to mature as a person and an artist, combined with new adventures and insights. I feel like I want to have a lot of fun at the moment and I feel very open to new things.” Way Out West, August 13-15; Slottsskogen, Gothenberg. For further information and how to get there, visit www.wayoutwest.se
this page: Cape by Stutterheim opposite page, clockwise from far left: Top and skirt from Junkyard, slippers by Ugg. Coat from Junkyard, jumpsuit by Stylein, shoes by & Other Stories. Jacket by Minimarket Hair and make-up: Rosanna Osorio Clavijo
A Love Letter A painter in a creator’s soul, a gentleman globetrotter who has mastered zen and the precision of good taste — does it exist or has it ever existed? This, with his characteristic subtle discretion, is Yohji Yamamoto Words by Sophie Faucillion & Julien Millet Photography by Elise Toide Styling by Théophile Hermand 12
“I don’t like to show the body in an ostentatious manner, I’d rather dream.” At first glance, this sentence could be seen to summarise the artist that is Yohji Yamamoto, but only those who have never seen or worn one of his creations would think that. The martial arts master in him always demonstrates a great restraint, and the painter dreams. He dreams, laughs, places his hope in man, but creates for woman. He protects her from surrounding greed like the flowers tacked onto the fabric of his latest collection’s designs. Some flowers also grow, protected from the shade of a bamboo forest. Needless to say, his deconstructed clothes warm the spirit’s flame. Not a low desire of ephemeral possession, but a soft and slow desire to remove the layers, to discover the passenger, to lean in and look closely, to notice the hidden treasure on the lapel, like a precious secret left close to the heart. He loves women and clothing in the same way someone feels about the love of their life. “Physically, a woman’s body is like a desert whose dunes, swept by the wind, permanently evolve. I try to create on this movement. It’s a charming job.” Is the man from the Land of the Rising Sun full of containment? Yes – but not only that. Yes, he rightly won the Soen Award, just like
Issey Miyake and Kenzo Takada before him. But after studying for a law degree first. He grew up immersed in the sound of a sewing machine and an iron, both deftly handled, we imagine, by his mother. It’s clearly a painful memory, though, as he doesn’t like this noise. But he loved his mother without limit or stitch. Living in post-Enola Gay Japan, he understands impermanence more than anyone, the form of imperfection that resides in all of us, as in our surroundings, what is lacking in every object: a soul! In Japanese it is called Wabi-sabi. Softly with his fingertips, with a soothing smile in the corner of his mouth, he disseminates it throughout Europe and worldwide, letting us believe that we are discovering it as we might a teahouse in the middle of a lush garden. He offers us truth to wear, the kind that contrasts with rigour, the grey that we carry from our home to our working place. Too stereotyped to reveal ourselves or to be honest. To wear Yohji doesn’t mean to be Yohji – it is reclaiming oneself, without becoming our colleague or neighbour. Behind me I hear a man and his girlfriend whispering that it lacks colour. Let’s consider his last collection: the orange stole, the coat that went from black to purple to print… Yohji Yamamoto improves
on perfection each year. I take this opportunity to melt into a master’s shade, who, in one short sentence, explains, “Black is not a colour, it is a shadow, the shadow of the woman I still pursue.” I enjoy being that woman, respected and loved, caught up in the middle of incessant motion, where I sometimes feel like I’m dissolving, losing myself. But he understands it: “Who are we? We live in cities, cities live in us, time passes. We move from town to town, from one country to another. We switch languages, change habits, opinions, clothes. We change everything. Everything changes fast.” That is why a design created by Yohji Yamamoto is timeless. This figure would not blossom in the reflection of a transient trend. To exist, to reveal not only what a fashion designer wants of us, but what the wearer expects from the couturier. A unique form of individuality that avoids disappearing in a labyrinth of intention that relates to oneself. Yohji Yamamoto spreads his palette of shadows and hope that we hide beneath our jackets; we can feel the wind and life itself between our skin and clothing. A maverick life where hope and respect come together. Thank you, Mister Yamamoto.
All clothes: Yohji Yamamoto Hair and make-up: Caroline Fenouil Model: Charlotte at Supreme Paris
summer loving Salute the sun, let the breeze caress your body and soul and embrace the warmth of enjoying all that life has to offer in relaxed looks that match your mood Photography by Ophelia Wynne Styling by Sara Dunn
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Hair and make-up: Tine Ibsen using Mitch Stone Essentials and MAC
Top by Temperley London
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Bikini top by Stella McCartney, trousers by CĂŠline
Poncho from Beyond Retro, cuff by Pamela Love, bangles stylist’s own, sandals by Ancient Greek Sandals
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Waistcoat from Beyond Retro, top by Miguelina, trousers by Escada
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Dress by Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane, sunglasses by Linda Farrow, roller skates by Rio Roller
Dress by Belstaff, scarf from Beyond Retro
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jumpsuit by Three Floor, sunglasses by Linda Farrow for Markus Lupfer, roller skates by Rio Roller
Bra by Eres, skirt by Temperley London, headband stylist’s own
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A World Beyond The Swedish singer Zhala has just released her long-awaited, self-titled debut album, bathing half of Stockholm in glitter and rose-water at its launch party held in collaboration with Grolsch Studios. The first darling of Robyn’s record label mixes cosmic pop with modern electro tribalism — and everyone is invited along for a trip into her spiritual landscape Words by Weronika Pérez Borjas Photography by Felix Swensson Styling by Fiffi Jenkins Special thanks to Grolsch studios
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You conquered the music world with your track Holy Bubbles. What does “holy” mean for you? “Many personal things are holy for me – material things I’ve owned, gifts I’ve gotten, words and thoughts someone’s shared with me. Although I don’t believe in God or any particular religion, I am religious in my own way, also thanks to my upbringing. Some people like to read self-help books; I prefer to consume spiritualism and travel into my inner world.” You often use Kurdish political symbols, eg the flag, in performances. How is your spirituality influenced by your Kurdish roots? “I reflect my emotions in my music and visual expression. You can find God, smells, flags, spiritual life, realism, Kurdistan, the good girl and the whore there. Being ‘immigrant Swedish’, it’s almost natural I’m becoming politicised. Everything that stands out itches somebody else’s butt!” On the other hand, is Sweden spiritual for you in some way? “I guess we are not the most spiritual country. Swedish spiritualism is often just practising yoga and smelling incense. But in my video to Aerobic Lambada I’m trying to show the most beautiful parts of Sweden according to me – Sweden seen through my own spiritual lens.” Would you say you embarked on a long trip with your first album? “I worked nonstop for a year. My focus was to show myself just as I am – dorky, stressed, scared, self-secure, Kurd, Swedish, human being,
citizen of the world, universe, force, etc. That’s a classic pop album for me – exploring different sides of oneself. I want to encapsulate my views, feelings, life, experience and restlessness in it.” Both the video to Slippin’ Around and your release party were done in collaboration with the artist Makode Linde. How do you two connect and find a coherent vision? “We’ve been collaborating for few years and we complement each other very well. Neither of us sets boundaries in our expression. I want to keep openness and ambiguity in my videos. That’s why Slippin’ Around can feel very modern, but at the same time religious or tribal. Makode had total freedom to direct it and, as a fountain of ideas, he is, it turns out, bursting with creativity. He is incredibly good at translating my music into visuals, also because he makes music himself and is a real genius.” The release party by Grolsch Studios was a magical and ambiguous evening. Do you think a perfect party can be a spiritual experience? “I really believe so. It’s a party when everybody can be exactly as they are, right here and right now. In spiritualism you can reach extreme openness, and it’s the same with the best parties, when you feel totally free. I hope we made everybody feel like that last Friday – it was the most intimate mega party in Zhala’s world!” Zhala is out now on Konichiwa Records
this page: Kimono by Minimarket, top by Weekday, skirt talent’s own opposite PAGE , CLOCKWISE FROM far left: Jacket talent’s own, top by Weekday, skirt by Monki. Vest by This Is Sweden, kimono by Minimarket. Shirt talent’s own Hair: Karolina Danielson make-up: Josefina Zarmén
Dream weaver The Danish designer Sara Sachs is known for mixing fashion with film, performance art, music and a whole lot of humour. We caught up with her at her new hometown of Los Angeles to find out what makes her world turn Words by Gustav Bagge Photography by Eliot Lee Hazel In 2008, Sara Sachs started the now-defunct fashion label Moonspoon Saloon as a line for a family of fictional characters that evolved from season to season. Following a fruitful collaboration with We Are the World, a band renowned for their own flamboyant performances, she soon found herself setting up a studio in downtown Los Angeles without really having planned anything beforehand. Unsurprisingly, “brave” is a word that has regularly been associated with both Sachs and her work. When we spoke with her, she was involved with the production of a new Peaches video and had been trying to make a bed out of leather snakes all week. “It’s all about building a universe,” she says. We asked her to tell us a little bit about the universe she has created for herself, what she thinks of life in Los Angeles and how she finds her inspiration and spirituality… “Spirituality is something among us, something I think we all feel and react to unconsciously or through intuition. I rarely talk about it, but I’m psychic. Actually, I try to ignore it, because I don’t have time to deal with old ghosts, visions and all that heavy mess on the other side, but it’s right there and I can’t escape it. “Personally, I prefer to see spirit through the eyes of another artist. A personal, emotional view of spirit is more interesting to me than the real thing. “I have always been fascinated by characters who have created their own culture, either from pure fantasy or by a unique way of interpreting their heritage. I guess this is what brought me to fashion in the first place and also what ultimately attracted me to Los Angeles. “Performance art is a field of character exploration that I have an intense interest in. The costume is an expression of a deeper emotion, whether it is in dance, art or real life. “Everything in Los Angeles is rather bizarre. It is hard to sum it up or say anything general, because there is no norm. On the surface the architecture is a big mess of castles, Mayan temples and fake facades. The diversity of cultures is extreme. On the same block there will be an Armenian market, a Cantonese restaurant and a taco shop. Many conflicting ideals are at play at the same time. At least you can say Los Angeles is a city with substance, even if it’s raw, ugly and fake. And then again, it is very real. “When it comes to fashion production here, it is very hands on. The downtown Fashion District is a bizarre place, but you can get almost anything done here. Things actually get done in Los Angeles and there is still production in the heart of the city. It makes the city feel more alive than many other western metropolises. “When you drive out of Los Angeles, you find yourself in a vast desert that feels like another planet. This is the spirit land of the natives. The sky sucks you into space and leaves you searching for answers. The nearest city is Las Vegas. There is nothing really to hold on to. Cults form here because there is a steady supply of people lost in themselves and their dreams.”
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All clothes: Sara Sachs
Into the Sound From jumping a fence at a festival in Sydney at the age of 15 to hypnotising crowds in Berlin and Ibiza with her magnetic sets, the DJ Bella Sarris graciously navigates the fluctuating waves of the clubbing scene. This summer she will abandon crowded dance floors for a while and seduce you into a spiritual trance in the heart of Swedish nature at the Into the Valley festival. Anything can happen when her transcendental sound reigns over Dalhalla Words by Weronika Pérez Borjas Photography by Louis Vignat Styling by Andrea Horn Special thanks to INTO THE VALLEY Your sound is an ambiguous mix of genres and free from classification. How do you look for challenges and new ways of making your music? “Inspiration comes in waves. The highs are often transitory and fleeting compared with the lows. You have to make the most of it when it comes and while it lasts. Sometimes I’m not really ‘feeling it’, like I am riding on a low wave, and then it hits me out of nowhere and suddenly I’m on an up again. “When I’m feeling low I try to surround myself with different, interesting people, sounds and experiences to re-energise.” Right now, you produce with a smaller, boutique agency. Does that help you to keep your independence? “It’s always been important to be able to be me in this industry. That is not always as easy as it sounds. People can get too caught up with obsessing about constructing a persona that other people want to see, or trying to fit into a specific genre or category. I prefer to focus on creating my own world and allowing people to hear and see what is the real me. Having a small boutique agency allows this, presenting me as the artist I am.” How does living in Berlin enrich your spirituality? “Berlin is both my sanctuary and my provocateur. It’s the place I feel safest and at peace, but also the place where I want to go out, cause the most trouble. Like in any healthy relationship, you should feel completely comfortable and free to try new things. Berlin, for me, is just like that relationship – I can be a weirdo without having the fear of being judged.” Into the Valley Festival “takes the pulse of the city into the heart of the forest’” – as a child of urban sound and most busy dance floors, what is your relationship with nature? “I grew up in Sydney, which is the perfect mixture of coast and country, bush and city. I got the best of both worlds, but I am still a city kid at heart, feeling most comfortable in urban surroundings. My friends will tell you how difficult it is to get me to the ocean. What I have learned from nature, however, is that, with my lifestyle, I need balance, otherwise I could burn out hardcore. “My way of achieving this balance is eating – it keeps me healthy, both physically and mentally. I am a bit of a psycho, gluten-free almost vegan, but I would literally die without sushi. I can be a control freak with this, but it gives some order in the chaos of my life. However, I do allow myself a healthy amount of tequila – not sure if that is really vegan, but hey, no one’s perfect… ” Would you describe making and playing music as part of your personal spiritual trip? “I’m not very good at communicating my emotions in words. I find it a lot easier to be vulnerable through my music. Music is the purest form of emotional expression and permits insight into one’s personality. When I play, I like to think that I open a window into how I am feeling at that particular moment. It’s not always going to be perfect, but it’s honest. The ritual of searching and playing music allows me to understand myself better.” What has been the most holistic experience you have had in a club, either as a DJ or a clubber? “Moments with the Gang, even if I’m not playing. It may sound vague, but when I’m with them, everything seems to make sense.” Which club would you recommend for an “out-of-body” experience? “For me, that’s usually Berghain, but not every time. It can be anywhere, it just depends on the balance and harmony of music, people, location and sometimes substance(s). It should be somewhere you can lose yourself and then find it again two days later.” Into the Valley, July 31-August 1; Dalhalla, Dalarna. For more details, visit www.intothevalley.se. Other acts include Sonja Moonear, Richie Hawtin, Four Tet, Carl Craig, Kim Ann Foxman, Nina Kraviz and Âme 28
this page: Waistcoat by Bassike, T-shirt by Issey Miyake, jeans by Rag & Bone, sunglasses by Karen Walker, boots by Dr Martens, suitcase by Rimowa opposite PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM FAR left: Dress by Minimarket. T-shirt by Issey Miyake, jeans by Rag & Bone. Jumpsuit by Henrik Vibskov Hair and make-up: Anne-Marie Wittchen Stylist’S assistant: Kelly Niessen
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West Coast girls like to keep it free and easy, mixing quirky vintage finds with ultra-sick streetwear. The result? A vibe that’s all about California dreamin’ Photography by Aldo Carrera Styling by Fiffi Jenkins and Aubrey Kia
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Dress from Beyond Retro, mask from Daiso, shoes from Santee Alley market
Jacket from Painted Bird, skirt from Beyond Retro
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Dashiki by Dimepiece, shirt from Beyond Retro
Kimono by Urban Outfitters, dress by Halfman, shoes from Santee Alley markeT
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Top by Dimepiece
Jacket by Dimepiece, sunglasses by Monokel
Hair and make-up: Brooke Hill, Model: Monica Wiseman at JE Model Management
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Human Rites “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”* In her new exhibition in Stockholm, the artist Ylva Ogland’s long-time fascination with the theatre continues. A meticulous ritual of our lives Words by Tor bergman Portrait by Sofia Runarsdotter
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In the theatre of Ancient Greece, the skene was the background building to which the stage platform was connected. This was regarded as the hidden stage. Here, costumes were stored and backdrops attached. But, most importantly, this was a place where the audience could also move around, more or less freely. Normal life intertwined with art. Very much like Ylva Ogland’s own life cycle, where ordinary, day-to-day activities and her work are one. Always without a regular, traditional studio. Instead, you will find her at home or working at the exhibition venue. Sometimes while visitors are passing by, in a show that is already open to the public – “Even when a work has been delivered, I do not regard it as completed.” Ogland has explored the skene and the ancient theatre before, but at Bonniers Konsthall the setting once again draws attention to the world of the stage. In She in Four Acts, she transforms the entire gallery into a work of art. Walking through the exhibition, a story evolves. The acts – named “the shadow world”, “death”, “birth” and “the real world” – are not the only thing in the show to evoke perhaps Dante, the Greek myths, da Vinci or even television series. But regardless of old masters and comments on classic works, this is, at its heart, an exhibition of the procedures that build all our lives, whether we like it or not. And what is this fascination with rites? One might think that Ogland’s anthroposophist upbringing in Järna, outside Stockholm, in a community so passionate about enigmatic ceremonies, might have something to do with her fascination for routines in this daily chaos most of us call life. She always works at night – but not as the result of a spontaneous idea after a late-night supper. No, she works every single night. Every project has its own special file in her large archive, containing ideas and the history of every development, step by step. Ogland prefers to discuss techniques and routines, rather than ideas, just like Stanley Kubrick, one of her favourite filmmakers. Film is important to her, and she immerses herself in one director that she enjoys after another. Just like a… ritual. Today, Ogland once again lives in Stockholm, after being based previously in both New York and Berlin. But being one of the most celebrated Swedish artists of her generation, she has exhibitions all over the globe and is represented in numerous collections. The world has truly become her stage. And those meticulous rites of hers have created a very personal artistry. Treating subjects that we perhaps have seen before, but in a new manner. Making the ordinary and the insignificant truly grand. That’s the spirit, Ylva Ogland. * As You Like It – William Shakespeare She in Four Acts, until July 26; Bonniers Konsthall, Torsgatan (www.bonnierskonsthall.se) THIS PAGE, clockwise from left: Master of Ceremonies (Sara, the Key Holder), Conjures Forth the Real World with Xenia Mask (2015); Photograph by Per Kristiansen. THE ARTIST YLVA OGLAND. Sibyllas Källa (2014); Photograph by Rodrigo Mallea Lira. The Birth of Xenia (7) (2014); PHOTOGRAPH BY Rodrigo Mallea Lira OPPOSITE PAGE: Speglad Källa (Mirrored Spring), Snöfrid et les contre espaces (2011–14); Photograph by Erika Svensson
The big woman in front makes a grimace. She is a madrina, the godmother, a priestess of the AfroCuban religion santeria. The reason we are here together is to meet los muertos, my dead people, and ask for their advice. A dark room with the frames lighted from below. Picture of a ghostly white foot; my eyes caress it, nestle in the perfectly straight cut in the middle of it. They slip away through the face of a black man halfcovered with a sheet, examine the hands crossed on somebody’s chest in an eternal gesture. AIDS Related Death, the title says. I am in the morgue with Andres Serrano at the Fotografiska museum, Stockholm. When the dead talk, the madrina listens carefully, her head tilted towards an empty chair. She smokes the cigar with the spirit. Then she turns back to me, explains in her figurative language, repeats, “Mami, copy me, mami.” She said I have a dead ancestor who protects me, the one from some region with large fields. “What do they reap there, mami?” The sugar cane, I respond, and suddenly everything makes sense, and I see my Cuban grandfather, the one who hanged himself in the middle of the street, next to me. Did Serrano ever talk to his muertos when taking his utterly peaceful pictures in the morgue? Or did he ever hear the voices of his Cuban ancestors talking from the depths of santeria? His perfectly clean imagery of religious statues and his streams of blood, semen and piss seem so far away from the tropical, unbridled Cuban spirituality, enclosed in colourful figures, altars bedecked with flowers, flowing with honey and rum. Yet I still see the Madonna of Regla in his Black Mary. I see Yemaya, the goddess of the seas, in his Pieta, with the girl holding a carp pressed to her breast. The blood of Saint Lazarus leaks from his Bodily Fluids series. I go out trembling. Is it because of the turtles watching me, because she said I have a limping ghost pulling my leg when I sleep, or because I need to buy a cake and drown it in the sea with the picture of me and my boyfriend in the middle of it? The furry head of El Gran Cabron and the nail piercing the feet of the crucified Christ. The unholy red halo around the pope’s head. Tiny lights around the faceless Virgin Mary. Serrano’s fleshy, carnal spirituality hunts me as I try to slip unnoticed through the exhibition room. But the dead have already talked to me. The unearthliness stared through the photographer’s obsession with the bodily. Los muertos are here and there is no chance for redemption. www.fotografiska.eu
Talking to Los Muertos A patio submerged in shadows at the back of a crowded apartment in Old Havana. Chickens moving in the corner. Turtles swimming in a bucket full of water. Marc Anthony’s song far away from the TV in the room, like from another reality. I throw shells and stones, time after time, but they are not listening to me Words by Weronika Pérez Borjas Images by Andres Serrano this page, clockwise from top: Jaguar Shit (2008), Virginian Dragoon .44 Magnum (1992), Semen and Blood III (1990) opposite page: Piss Christ (1987)
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