Berlin-based artist Cyprien Gaillard once argued that architecture can be experienced at its best in a state of sullen hang-over, and ever since I dragged some visiting friends along to the Soviet War Memorial for a freezing Sunday’s winter walk with a sharp headache and much too little sleep behind us after a long night, I tend to agree.

We had walked through East Berlin’s Treptower Park and came up the steps to the memorial, flanked by two kneeling soldiers hoisting up granite Soviet flags, when we had our moment: The ridiculously oversized field of tombstones came into sight, crowned by the literally gigantic statue of the soldier – carrying a child on his left, a sword in his right, with a crushed swastika underfoot – silhouetted against the sky while darkness fell. It was kind of awe-inspiring and absurd at the same time. It was a magic moment.

Berlin, of course, embodies Europe’s troubled past of the 20^th century like no other, traces of which can be found all over the grey city – most obviously in the architecture and countless monuments from different eras, not seldom cause for controversy, demonstrating the city’s uneasy relationship with its own unwelcome heritage. While the Fascist era has its most dramatic architectural embodiment in the 1936 Olympic Stadium on the western side of the city, the Soviet War Memorial might be its Communist counterpart, and a case in point as to how similar the imagery of the two opposing ideologies actually was.

Imposed in 1949 on the East German government by the Soviet Union as a memorial and cemetery to some of the 80,000 fallen Russian soldiers during the Battle of Berlin, the Soviet Monument has never been popular with East Berliners, and today it is fortunately largely ignored. Which makes it a great place to go and think, as it’s mostly deserted and windswept, in a soothing kind of way. The magic moment never fails to impress – particularly on a cold and rainy winter evening with a severe hangover.

Photography by Kai von Rabenau

The Nameless
Typologies #03: Iran Orphans
Photography by Kai von Rabenau
A selection of the series is currently on view at Uncommon Place / Appointment only

Involving our ingenious mobile hanging systems involving hundreds of magnets from our favourite store in the world that is Tokyu Hands, and a lot of patience, we were so excited to see that all three projects finally formed one beautiful whole – of course, to us this has always made sense, but we realize that to the outside, our different activities might appear a little confusing at times. Anyway, thank you to everyone who made this happen and lent their capable hands and minds, and Tokyo was a blast, of course. Segoi!

–––

mono.position #04
Kai von Rabenau / Diaries
mono.graphie / mono.gramm / mono.kultur
03 – 17 February 2012

Colorworks Palette Bldg
1-14-2 Higashi-Kanda
Chiyoda-Ku
Tokyo

our first project in 2012 is kind of an unusual one for us, but then again, we feel it’s about time – all too often we get asked about all these ‘other mono’s’: What is mono.graphie? And really, you run a fashion label? Well yes, kind of. Truth is: Our publisher, Kai von Rabenau, is a photographer in his other life, and has been running his studio under the name of mono.graphie since 2001. And mono.gramm is our ‘joint venture’ womenswear label since 2009 and specialized in dresses, that we help with the art direction and organization and special projects and general advice and hand-holding. What all these projects have in common is a shared philosophy and approach – hence the mono in all our names – applied to different media.

Anyway, when we were invited by the lovely Palette Gallery in Tokyo for an exhibition, we thought it’s a good opportunity to bring together these different activities and present them all in one space, since they come from the same studio as well. It’s kind of an experiment for us, which makes it all the more exciting of course, and anyway, like we said, it’s about time.

And thus, we will be showing an overview of mono.graphie’s photography practice, showcasing a selection of editorial, fashion and personal work, extracting a palette of colour and atmosphere from daily life; whereas our womenswear imprint mono.gramm will give a sneak peek into its playful light-handed approach to fashion design, and mono.kultur, of course, will display the first 30 issues of our uniquely popular interview format.

So if you happen to be in Tokyo next week, please feel free to join us for drinks and insights, accompanied by a conversation between Kai von Rabenau and Hiroshi Eguchi of Utrecht. And if you are not, but know someone who is, then make sure to share the invite for a hello and kampai!

All our best,
mono.kultur

–––

mono.position #04
Kai von Rabenau / Diaries
mono.graphie / mono.gramm / mono.kultur

03 – 17 February 2012
Opening / 03 February 2012 / 18 – 20 h
Talk / 18 h 30 / Kai von Rabenau & Hiroshi Eguchi / Utrecht

Colorworks Palette Bldg
1-14-2 Higashi-Kanda
Chiyoda-Ku
Tokyo

Mr Homayoun Sanati was an extraordinary man: having started his career as a trader in his hometown of Kerman in central Iran, he started translating American school books into Farsi, which eventually not only made him the owner of the largest publishing house in Iran, but also earned him five years in prison after the revolution on charges of espionage for the US.

In the meantime, Sanati had inherited acres of barren land nearby, which even without any knowledge of agriculture he was determined to use for finding an alternative to the ubiquitous farming of opium – poppy seeds being one of the few plants to grow in the harsh climate. Eventually, Sanati began growing hybrid roses to strict biodynamic standards and to great success: 20 years later, after initial resistance of the neughbouring farmers, Sanati’s Zahra Rosewater Company has turned around the entire valley from growing opium to harvesting roses, which are then on site distilled into rose essence for use in cosmetics, food and spices. Mr Homayoun Sanati died in 2009, leaving behind his hometown of Kerman a significantly better place than before.

Photography by Kai von Rabenau