29/12/2023 - Tokyo, Japan
Whitelies Magazine - The Closure Issue: A Final Editors’ Letter
Writing these letters has never been a simple task; it’s a pursuit that calls to be undertaken in retrospect. Only after an issue has been carefully crafted, can I finally find myself contemplating it in its entirety. There’s a certain beauty in working on something that remains abstract up until the final moments before its completion. A similar thought comes over me as I reflect upon the eleven preceding issues, having witnessed them fuse into a greater project and narrative. Perhaps it is because we are bringing our journey to a close with this final, twelfth issue – a highly auspicious number for both Gregorian sun and lunisolar Yin calendars – that everything seems especially poignant.
In my research into the significance of the number 12, I’ve discovered that it often represents the completion of a cycle, a return to the starting point. It carries a remarkable weight in various contexts, from the twelve zodiac signs; twelve months in a year; to the twelve ancient Greek gods and goddesses residing on Mount Olympus; the twelve tribes of Israel; the twelve apostles; to the twelve imams following Muhammad in Islam. In Buddhism, life itself is believed to consist of twelve stages, with the twelfth stage holding particular sacredness. While these associations may not hold obvious, tangible significance in our modern day context, there is an undeniable sense of symbolic meaning in concluding our journey at this juncture. This is why we’ve chosen to feature twelve stories in this issue, as homage to the number’s universal resonance.
Twelve stories, each anchored by the theme of ‘closure’. Each extols the virtue of letting go, but not without also delving into themes of beauty, despair and melancholia that may come with it. Each narrative considers the motif of the circle visually or metaphysically; traverses cycles; contends with repetition; or chronicles the agony of an endless wait. Still, the stories of this issue bear witness to the relatable dramas of everyday life.
Our long-time collaborator, Lena C. Emery, presents us with a story drawn from an excerpt of her forthcoming book I undressed to climb a tree (est. 2024). In it, she juxtaposes the natural rhythms of life with the routinisation of urban environments. Her portrayal of listless young women evokes a sense of transition, reminiscent of the way Sofia Coppola captures moments of existential uncertainty in ‘Lost in Translation’, which feature complex portraits of personages struggling for clarity and resolution. Olivier Kervern’s story Rivers and Highways immortalizes moments that have passed, as the piece title infers; these moments linger like unclosed chapters, notes from a journey, fragments awaiting completion yet never intended to reach closure.
Photographer Stanislas Motz captures Sahteene Sednaoui in a story rich in symbolism, through a meticulous study of the interplay of shapes set against a monotone backdrop. Stephane Sednaoui, on the other hand, has contributed an abstract series titled Sombre (2023). This series looks inwardly to the convolutions of mental, chemical, physical and ethereal processes, all born of a personal tragedy. Sombre serves as a profound exploration of inner transformation, tracing a journey from ingress to rekindling contact with the external world.
In our special collaboration with Chanel, we focus on the Fall/Winter 2023/24 - Haute Couture collection—a presentation that unfolded with Chanel Artistic Director Virginie Viard’s portrayal of leisurely, Parisian life along the Seine in the height of summer. Enthralled its simultaneous effortlessness and exemplarity in sartorial craftsmanship, we decided to personify the collection by building a character. This character, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the magnetic Caroline de Maigret, finds herself stood up on the pavements on Paris, waiting indefinitely for a lover who will never arrive. In this story Unpredictable, we aimed to evoke the chic essence of 1980s editorial culture in New York, typified by the use of long camera lenses and strong women figures in the cityscape.
Over in Tokyo, our long-time collaborator Osamu Yokonami engages with the solitude, anonymity and restlessness that characterizes sprawling mega-metropolises. His piece “insert title here”, starring the inimitable Hiromi Ando, plays with stillness and motion-blurring, and completes the story he has woven throughout our previous issues. Beyond the frenetic heart of Tokyo, Jun Yasui has created a story inspired by the concept of the Sanzu-no-Kawa, which translates as "River of Three Crossings", or the "Sanzu River". In Japanese Buddhist tradition, this mythical river bears resemblance to the Greek concept of the Styx, the main underworld river that the ferryman Charon would take the souls of the dead across into Hades. Tom Baril, renowned for his role as the printmaker for the artist Robert Mapplethorpe and a genuine photographic hero of mine, graces this issue with his series titled Botanic (1999). In these images, he celebrates the transient and ephemeral qualities shared by both life and nature. Baril’s lens captures those fleeting moments of beauty that often slip from our hurried gaze. Baril’s photographs transcend mere representations of objects to become meditations on the fragility of existence.
Berlin-based photographer Mengyu Zhou offers a glimpse into her personal series (INSERT TITLE), captured earlier this year in her hometown (INSERT HOMETOWN) and which features her cousin Orange. Despite having shared formative moments of their childhood together, their life paths diverged as they grew into adulthood. This story is one of grief, dreams without fulfilment, and the challenge of reconciling with societal expectations. This ongoing photographic series ruminates upon the intricate struggle between a yearning for liberation from norms and the notion of self-sacrifice in service of family.
Belgian artist Katrien de Blauwer appears in Whitelies once again with a suite of her distinctive collages, selected from her larger body of work Why I fear red, love blue (and) hate yellow (2023). Her practice revolves around the collection, meticulous cutting, and thoughtful recycling of images—an act she likens to introspective self-examination. Likewise, in understanding artistic expression as a form of therapy, Elaine Tam’s newly commissioned personal essay Forever end serves as a fitting conclusion to this issue. Through piecemeal reflections that invoke private or diaristic notes, Tam explores the ambivalence of loss and guilt in the never-ending work towards closure.
Let’s keep it short and sweet—this twelfth issue, aptly titled 'Closure’, signs the end of our journey as a magazine. As an artist, I’ve always held a deep appreciation for project-based work, endeavors with distinct beginnings and endings. Some projects endure or last longer, while others are fleeting, but I find solace in their cycles, as much as the promise of continually moving forward and embarking on new journeys. This, to me, is the essence of how things should be. Letting go, I believe, is an art form in and of itself.
What has often troubled me about the rhythms of the fashion and magazine industry is how they tend to grow rigid and mechanistic over time. While I derive satisfaction from closing one issue and transitioning to the next, the parameters of our work are often heavily dictated by external factors, making it nearly impossible to experience a complete transformation after each cycle.
Upon reflection, I’ve come to the realization that, all along, I’ve understood Whitelies as more of an art project situated within a commercial context. This journey of over 10 years years has been profoundly personal, and I find it challenging to extricate myself from the magazine—our identities have become entwined. In some ways, bidding farewell is bittersweet, in others, I look back with pride and look ahead with an eagerness to see how it will metamorphosize.
In lieu of a conventional ‘best of’ compilation or the tired promise of ‘new beginnings’, we wanted to embrace the subject of closure in all its nuance; that this issue bids farewell to Whitelies in magazine form has been an opportunity to uphold all our commitments and values to the highest standard. More than a mere goodbye, this issue is a visual expression of the beauty in closure, a celebration of parting, and a call to embrace states of mourning.
Almost a decade ago, Whitelies came into existence as an undercover mission to make accessible the opaque and seemingly mutually exclusive realms of fashion and art. Our inaugural issue ‘Foundations’ reflected the early stages of this endeavor—a product designed to lend insight to what most people consider impenetrable territories.
With a team that was admittedly rather un-versed in the idiosyncrasies of publishing, we embarked on a learning journey, adapting our approach as our knowledge and experience grew. It soon became clear to us that our publication was, above all, deeply personal. Each chosen theme resonated with us at the moment of its inception, and now behaves as both document and archive. As though testifying to this, we dedicated the issue ‘Artisan’ to expressing our admiration for artists whose work possess a timeless quality. Extensive collaborations and conversations, notably with Geoffrey B. Smalls, helped us attend to the craftsmanship and artisanal qualities present within our own line of work.
When I write that everything up to our 9th issue was a preparatory phase for our unique purpose, I mean it in earnest. By then, we had had a sustained exposure to the trials of the magazine landscape. The pivotal shift came with the arrival of Covid-19 and the ensuing global pause, ideal for prolonged introspection. With the ‘Permanence’ issue, our voice finally found clarity and our mission became unequivocal. In those times of heightened isolation, we learned that our publication motivated something far beyond what was visible on the surface: a cultural conversation.
It was then that Whitelies became formally positioned as an intercultural dialogue between East Asia and Europe and, writing these words three years after this moment, I find myself in my new home in Tokyo, engaged in precisely this boundary- and border-crossing exchange on a daily basis. Perhaps it is through our publication that I discovered and held onto ways to remain close to my interests. Yet, at the heart of it, I no longer see the need to construct these bridges through our magazine, as much as through local initiatives and worldly experiences.
It's intriguing to reflect on the numerous remarkable interpretations of the name ‘Whitelies’ that I've encountered over the past decade, fully aware that my initial choice of the name was a simple coincidence. My approach to everything has often followed the playful adage, ‘fake it till you make it' and in the creative realm, this attitude is essential such that ‘Whitelies’ seems like a fitting title. We spin and weave stories and ideas with the hope that someone will take us seriously and lend credibility to our voice. The narratives we craft for ourselves, the stories we construct to captivate our audience, are invariably composed of multitudinous little white lies—fabrications that serve to smoothen the rough edges of our realities, or conjure alternative worlds. I could assert that this was precisely the approach and the essence behind the name ‘Whitelies’, however that would itself be a white lie. In 2012, as fate would have it, I strolled into an art gallery in Vienna. There, an artist was exhibiting a series of rather ordinary quotes fashioned from neon tubes. In one of the small rooms, a sign simply read ‘whitelies’.
That was it; it felt right, resonated within me, and so the name was born. The first sentences of Whitelies were penned in a run-down student flat in Vienna, and a means to escape the monotony of life as an economics student through the indefatigable propositions born of art. As I write these words today, I find myself in our Tokyo office, a remarkable eleven years later.
15/12/2023 - Tokyo, Japan
Work - Opportunity: Long-Term Assistant Position in Tokyo, Japan
Stefan Dotter is seeking for a long-term assistant in Tokyo, Japan. This mentorship program covers research, on-set assistance, production support, darkroom work, retouching, and more. The program lasts 2-3 years, with an option to extend. The work schedule includes a mix of half and full weeks, with breaks. This paid position also offers mentorship, advice, support, and workshops - specifically in terms of print making.
To apply, please send a motivation letter to studio@stefandotter.com
Requirements:
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15/11/2023 - Tokyo, Japan
Whitelies Magazine, the 12th Issue - ‘Closure’
“Whitelies Magazine,” as we know it, will come to a close with the release of our 12th and final issue, aptly titled “Closure.” This decision was far from easy, as we grappled with the delicate balance between the world of high-quality publishing and the challenging realities of the contemporary magazine industry. Ultimately, we realized that this format has its inherent limitations, and the time has come for a transformative journey into new territories.
For me personally, Whitelies Magazine has been an inseparable part of my identity, and taking this step is undeniably daunting. Yet, I firmly believe that stepping beyond one’s comfort zone often yields remarkable growth. „Whitelies Magazine“ was never meant to be a permanent endeavor, and as I reflect on more than a decade of pouring my heart into it, I am immensely proud of what we’ve collectively achieved over the years. I have always thrived on working on projects—ones that embark on a journey, evolve, and eventually find their natural conclusion, paving the way for something new. Within the confines of the rigorous magazine publishing schedule, this evolution often felt challenging.
Whitelies will endure in a new form. We’re actively working on fresh ways to express our creativity and connect with our community. I’m eager to share our upcoming projects when the time is right. However, today is about reflecting on our remarkable journey over the past eleven years and the virtue of embracing change. Our final issue, coming in November, is deeply personal and breaks away from our usual format. It’s a captivating visual exploration of the theme of “Closure,” seen through the eyes of the artists who’ve profoundly influenced us.
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01/02/2023 - Tokyo, Japan
Now globally represented by HOME Agency
Effective immediately the studio is exclusively represented by Home Agency for all relevant markets. Find the contact informations below:
JP: nanami@homeagency.com
US: christine@homeagency.com
EU: jason@homeagency.com
29/09/2022 - Paris, France
Whitelies Magazine, the ‘Identity’ Exhibition
Fraught with social, cultural and political connotations, Identity is the medium through which we express and adopt signifiers. It’s that funny thing that acts as a connective tissue, joining us as particular individuals to the general or universal. It’s the question “Where are you from?” met with pause, and more pause. There are those who answer with conviction, while there are others who answer differently each time, but all of us speak of identity with our mouths full. What follows? Is our relationship to our identities a mix of pride, estrangement or shame? We could brandish our signs like hearts on our sleeves, or they are the comfort blanket that helps us to sleep well at night. We let others tie us up neatly up in a bow, sticky package label slapped on, hard to shirk. In strange ways, we find our- selves straying far from our roots, living in radically foreign places, just to inculcate a sense of longing; perhaps to long is part of what it means to belong, or at least more than we tend to think.
In this exhibition, the painfully intimate portraits of men by Nobuyoshi Araki’s protégé Sakiko Nomura subverts the ‘male gaze’; Zhong Lin reinterprets Satoshi Kons’ anima- tion “Perfect Blue” (1997), a nightmarish story about a youth pop idol who tries to outgrow her own image; Takashi Homma tails a model called Raiki around her everyday life in Tokyo; self-taught Hong Kong photographer Chan Wai Kwong reinvents the image culture he became acquainted with through his father, a news photographer.
Also lending visuals and voice to the idiosyncrasies of identity, Osamu Yokonami, Charlotte Stouvenot, Stefan Dotter, Stephane Sednaoui and Lena C Emery further explore its joys, aches and discontents. For Identity, above all, is what leaves us with that age-old existential puzzle: even if at the worst of times our differences appear pro- nounced, we look around the room and see plainly that we have managed to arrive here together, apart.
The artists presented in the exhibition are channels of both Eastern and Western identities, and serve to highlight the magazine’s aims to foster dialogue and forge an intercultural bridge between the two spheres. Working closely with the artists on the editorial commissions from concept to materialisation, the work here celebrates the past year of reflection and collaboration.
Group exhibition with Charlotte Stouvenot, Lena C. Emery, Osamu Yokonami, Stefan Dotter, Sakiko Nomura, Zhong Lin, Stephane Sednaoui, Chan Wai Kwong, Takashi Homma & Bennie Gay.
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29/09/2022 - Berlin + Tokyo
Whitelies Magazine, the 11th Issue - ‘Identity’
“In retrospective the “I”, that I am, was for the majority of my twenties an uprooted entity. I sought out journeys for their difference in context and meaning, and I wound up in numerous settings that would strengthen my sense of self. Identity was some sort of performance to me; in every new environment I would “cherry pick” it for evidence of who I am. I would present the most appropriate facet of myself, because I was strongly aware that this version would be accepted and make my quest to integrate in communities was much easier. As shallow as it may seem, I never considered this deceitful. I like to imagine myself as shape with many faces – I just turn to a new angle of myself to catch the sun each time. But as you present these nicely curated angles of yourself, you naturally start hiding other angles as well. I felt estranged from my roots, and my nationality was something I had a hard time identifying with. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I often felt ashamed of being German, but I never understood it. And yet now that I live and work in Japan, a country that is so profoundly different from where I come from, I feel a very strong identification with my actual roots. It only took me 8,915.55 km of distance to finally return to my own roots, so that they can become yet another part of my identity.
This meditation on the term, however, is at once a privileged and very personal one. We are grateful to have had the chance to explore the theme of “identity” from a great number of different voices and positions within the pages of this issue. In “Shadows in the Network” C.J. Gartillou and Tam Mei Lin consider “shadow children”, a societally marginalised people barred from national identification, and with it, employment, travel, education, healthcare. Musical legend Terry Riley shares with us the spiritual and ethical dimensions of his work and outlook. Kiko Mizuhara and Yoon Anh the particularities of being ethnically Korean and working in the cultural industries in Japan. We are thrilled to re-print Amanda Lee Koe’s titillating Singapore-based short story “Pawn”, which charts the relationship between people from different cultural worlds, a collision also present in Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook’s artwork “Two Planets”, as is discussed by Sandy Yu. Photographer Zhong Lin reinterprets Satoshi Kons’ animation “Perfect Blue”, a story about a youth pop idol who is attempting to shed this image for that of a serious actress. We explore expressions of cultural and individual identity in food with a statement by chef Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen; a quarantine food diary by Zoe Suen; and a personal essay on language whose fulcrum is “Sweet Buns” by Elaine Tam. The issue is opened and closed by the deeply intimate work of Nobuyoshi Araki’s protégé Sakiko Nomura, and features further photographic works by the likes of Takashi Homma, Bennie Gay, Chan Rim and Chan Wai Kwon, to name but a few.
The notion of identity is a blessing and a curse alike. Identity marks the beginning and the end of everything; within it is the moment our species separated itself from the rest of the world. When we identified that a tree is a tree, when we called an acorn an acorn, we gave birth to separation. In philosophy “identity” is a predicate which functions as an identifier – a marker that distinguishes and differentiates one object from another object. Why do we build identities? In which instances are they expressions of passion and belonging, in which instances are they a spawn of fear? My personal history attests to the way identity can be built through fear, anxiety and the search for external validation, and I can imagine it is like this for many of us. Gradually, however, I believe it has been changing. And it is a profound experience when we are moved less the external, but by an appreciation of what is internal. Is the only true identity what we feel when we sit still, the object of our body at last disentangled from such thoughts? I hope you find yourselves in these pages as we have done. Enjoy, dear reader. “
- Letter from the Editor, Stefan Dotter
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01/04/2022 - Tokyo, Japan
Relocation to Tokyo, Japan
Studio Stefan Dotter is proud to announce that we have officially relocated to Tokyo, Japan and will be working at the intersect of Europe and the far East. Our gratitude goes out to everyone who has been supportive of our big change.
01/01/2022 - Xingu River, Brazil
ATMOS: Listening as a Radical Act
Indigenous people are experts on planetary health. It’s why Health In Harmony, a nonprofit dedicated to reversing global heating, is listening to and acting on the experiences of rainforest communities across the world. Health In Harmony was founded on the knowledge that rainforest communities are experts on planetary health. It’s why they arrived in Xipaya Indigenous Land—a region in northern Brazil that was in 2015 ruptured by the construction of Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam—with no agenda and no plans. Instead, they asked the Indigenous people living in the territory’s five villages what they needed. For Juma Xipaia, the territory’s first female leader, the respect and recognition of Indigenous knowledge and expertise was a pleasant surprise. “It’s no use to wish to understand our needs without hearing directly from the communities and seeing the reality of each individual,” she said. “[That’s why] Health In Harmony was very well-received.” Since their collaborative work began, the first Xipaya project—with support from Health In Harmony—will be a traditional medicine center to revitalize the use of Indigenous healing practices. The Xipaya are also evolving the Carimã village, with the aim of preserving traditional customs and knowledge systems after the damage caused by Belo Monte.
Read on.
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05/10/2021 - Paris, France
FUNDRAISER FOR AFGHANISTAN / EXPO
Together with photographer ERE Foundation and activist Sabrina Herzog, Stefan Dotter has united the work of 100 engaged photographers around a print sale, dedicated to the evacuation and resettlement of his 8 Afghan photography students. This fundraiser by photographers for photographers will enable 8 Afghan photography students to establish a life and profession outside of Afghanistan, while developing their photographic practice through future workshops.
The images will be on view and available for purchase at the Sheriff Gallery, Rue de Turenne 53 - 75003 Paris. Get your print at ere.earth/gallery.
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Mathilde Agius • Danielle Alprin • Philippe Arlt • Alina Asmus • David Avazzadeh • Tess Ayano • David Baum • Edgar Berg • Kristin Bethge • Anthony Blasko • Jeff Boudreau • Anna Breit • Brendan George Ko • Kira Bunse • Juliette Cassidy • Kevin Castanheira • Ali Kate Cherkis • Lee John Clayton • Lauren Coleman • Volker Conradus • Elaine Constatine • Laura Jane Coulson • Elena Cremona • Matthieu Croizier • Jack Davison • Katrien De Blauwer • Quentin De Briey • Théo De Gueltzl • Max Dorsogna • Stefan Dotter • Laurence Ellis • Brad Elterman • Phil Engelhardt • Daniel Etter • Peter Fisher • Jermaine Francis • Maria Johanna Fritz • Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek • Gavin Green • Luca Grottoli • Marie Haefner • Amanda Hakan • Estelle Hanania • Jamie Hawkesworth • Alyssa Heuze • Hill & Aubrey • Alex Huanfa Cheng • Larissa Hofmann • Carlijn Jacobs • Jesse John Jenkins • Tom Johnson • Jack Johnstone • Kinga Katanics • Marc Krause • Adam Kremer • Dylan Kronen • Brendan George Ko • Charlotte Lapalus • Robbie Lawrence • Chloe Le Drezen • Massimo Leardini • Lucas Lehmann • Crista Leonard • Wai Lin Tse • Thomas Lohr • Maddy Minnis • Joachim Müller-Ruchholz • Nikki McClarron • Katsu Naito • Hans Neumann • Ina Niehoff • Anouk Nitsche • Zhenya Posternak • Remi Pujol• Mafalda Rakos • Jody Rogac • Alice Schillaci • Yannick Schuette • Sednaoui Stephane • Maximilian Semlinger • Emine Sevim-Zendegi • Laila Sieber • Flavia Sistiaga • Alec Soth • Mika Sperling • Charlotte Stouvenot • Julien T Hamon • Tajan Sophie • Marius Uhlig • Jonas Unger • Cyrille de Vignemont • Massimo Vitali • Alexandra Von Fuerst • Farzana Wahidy • Wrey Eddie • Watkins CT
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“For the past two and a half years the Afghan photographer Farzana Wahidy, myself and a group of friends were working together on a joint mission in collaboration with UN agencies to hold photography workshops for a group of 8 ex-refugees who had recently returned to Afghanistan. Both a very intense and rewarding experience, it allowed me to witness the struggle Afghan people face on a daily basis, while being myself completely absorbed by the immense progress they were making over a short period of time.
As you of course know, the situation has turned especially dark in the past weeks and together with friends, colleagues and generous institutions our utmost priority over the last weeks has been to find an opportunity for the students to leave the country. The eight students part of the photography programme are currently in danger for the following reasons:
- As many in Afghanistan's Hazara Shiite community, the families of these young people suffered a campaign of persecution during the civil war of the 1990s and the first Taliban regime that forced them to flee to Iran. After the Taliban was overthrown in 2001, they returned to Afghanistan, believing they were safe. However, as we know from August 15th, the Taliban took over the government in the country so their lives are in danger once again;
- In addition to the Taliban, the Korashan Islamic State (also known as ISIS-K) sees Shiism as a heresy to Islam, and its attacks against the Hazara minority in particular have already killed hundreds, adding to the terror in the lives of an already vulnerable population.
- Another downside is that these photography students are categorised by extremist groups in the same way as journalist. As reported by human rights groups there is a growing threat to journalists in Afghanistan, at least 11 journalists were killed in targeted attacks in 2020 according to Amnesty International. Since 2001, more than 50 journalists have been killed in Afghanistan, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
- 6 people in the group are women. The threat of violence has always been a harsh reality for Afghan women but the impositions made by the Taliban government, already demonstrated by actions like the announcement of a full men's interim cabinet or banning certain sports for women, go beyond violence to an exclusion from life in society.
NGOs, government authorities from third-party countries, individuals concerned by the cause and myself have joined forces to support their emergency humanitarian visa applications in order to secure their safety and wellbeing. While the visas are currently in the process of being granted by a benevolent country, the students need their travel expenses covered (e.g. plane tickets, PCR tests, transportation, etc) as well financial support for the first 6 months to assure their stability and independence in a new country. In the context of this collective effort, the fundraiser will enable the students to establish a life and profession outside of Afghanistan, while developing their photographic practice with the help of other photographers.
All donations received will be managed by the ERE Foundation and distributed to the NGOs responsible for their resettlement in the new country. All donations will be distributed equally to the young photographers as soon as they arrive in their new home country.
While we are in advanced discussions with NGOs in their country of resettlement at this time for security reasons we will only share details on the student’s resettlement once they have safely reached their destination country.
You are welcome to contact us at hello@ere.earth if you have any questions or concerns or if you can offer any other support.
It is very important for us to be 100% transparent about where the funds are going and how they will help. Also what happens to the funds if we are not able to evacuate the students. In this case we would like to donate the funds to a non-profit, non-political organisation that supports photographers in Afghanistan through education, exhibitions, legal support, protection and much more. In the case that we raise more funds than necessary for the resettlement of the students, we are creating a trust fund for their future, which they can be used for necessary equipment, education & basic needs.
Thank you in advance for any help you can give these young people. I know each and every one of them will be immensely grateful for even the smallest donation.
While for security reasons we are unable to disclose the real identities of our students, thank you for your understating.”
- Statement by Stefan Dotter, 2021
13/04/2021 - London
British Journal of Photography & Palm Photo Prize 2021, Shortlisted
“Dotter’s project focuses on the details within the everyday rituals of the ama: female free divers preserving the ancient art of sea foraging. Dotter was able to make contact with the Nakagawas, an ama family based in Toba, Mie Prefecture. They invited him to stay at their home for a fortnight, to photograph mother anddaughter, Shizuka and Sanae, and their daily rituals passed down through generations of divers. “They offered me a glimpse into this tradition,” says Dotter, whose work focuses on the details of their daily rituals: the dainty metal attachments of their diving masks, a pair of feet moments before disappearing beneath the surface of the water, and a wooden barrel bobbing over its ripples.
“What draws me towards the tradition is the fact that it’s fading away, and I want to preserve it somehow,” says Dotter. “This is what also draws me so much to documentary photography… Some things don’t last forever. But we can make it last a little while longer with the work that we do.”
Link to article. BJP.
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11/04/2021 - Berlin
Whitelies Magazine 9th issue themed ‘Permanence’
Stefan Dotter announces the release of hist latest issue exploring the theme of ‘Permanence’ on the 3rd of May. The studios most heartfelt issue yet on which we worked throughout the last year.
“As the magazine has progressed through the past 9 years, with different shifts of focus, we strongly feel that with this issue we are finally able to show our readers our essence and path forward into the future. Positioned as an inter-cultural bridge between the Asia-Pacific and what we perceive as the west, we dedicated this issue to some of the brightest artists working in Japan and also went in-depth with those creatives that are strongly connected to the East. It is an honor to take you on this trip, during a time where journeys are scarce. While most of the world looks at what is currently changing in this global whirlwind of events, we are focusing on what stays - on what is permanent. Our cultural hunger for exploring new worlds and connecting them to our own is something universal that, I should like to imagine, will continue to endure.”
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01/02/2021 - Berlin
Image Licensing now via Connected Archives
A vast selection of Dotter’s work is now available for licensing via Connected Archives. It is an international collective of like-minded photographers ranging from upcoming talents to established and award-winning artists. Working within the realms of portrait, documentary, fashion, and fine-art photography, our pictures live on the pages of renowned newspapers and magazines. With our poetic and personal approach to photography, our visual language speaks to both commercial and artistic purposes. Click here.
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30/11/2020 - Rotterdam, Milan, Paris
Life Framer Award
2nd prize at the latest Life Framer award judged by legendary photographer & filmmaker Alex Prager. This photograph is from a recent documentary Dotter shot around Toba, Mie Prefecture, focusing on the Ama divers. The wonderful smiling ladies are Saki Satonaka and Masayo Uemura, photographed in late march 2020.
“I love the raw emotion that emits from this image and the pure joy I feel looking it. The humanity seeps through in every detail and choice, compositionally and through the use of color (and lack there of). I was drawn to the expansiveness of the image as well as its simplicity.” – Alex Prager
The selected works will be shown in a travelling exhibition:
Contour Gallery, Rotterdam 29/11 - 19/12/2020
&co119, Paris 28/01 - 20/02/2021
Officine Fotografiche 25/03 - 13/04/2021
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30/11/2020 - Uganda
ATMOS Magazine - Canaries in the Goldmines
A recent gold boom in Uganda has some of the country’s most vulnerable men, women, and even children scrambling to benefit—and at great personal risk. But Earthbeat, an unlikely nonprofit, is helping them create alternatives.
Read the article here.
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10/06/2020 - London
The Earth Issue Freedom Fundraiser
100% of proceeds after printing and shipping will be split amongst the organizations on Bail Funds: George Floyd and the 4Front Project. All initial US donations will be directed to Black Lives Matter via the Bails Funds platform. However, The Earth Issue will continuously monitor the landscape of organisations needing funds, adjusting to whom we donate every 3 days based on needs and recommendations from frontliners in the civil rights struggle.
The Freedom Fundraiser print sale will be held for 30 days. Funds will be paid out to the organisations every three days. Prints will be sold for £100 including shipping. 100% of proceeds after printing and shipping will be donated. All prints for sale on this website are subject to copyright.
www.theearthissuefreedomfundraiser.com
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20/05/2020 - Copenhagen
Pictures without Borders
Pictures Without Borders is photographers from all over the world, across genres, raising awareness towards the current global crisis and raising funds to support countries and regions most affected. MSF has a global response to the pandemic and the consequences of the global lockdown that causes limited acces to general medicin, medical aid, healthcare and food in countries and regions most affected. To read more about MSF's global response please visit msf.org
All prints cost 100€ and are in editions of 50. When buying a print for 100€, a donation of 70€ will be made directly to MSF in your name. The remaining 30€ is held for printing and packaging cost, all proceeds from the print and packaging cost will be donated to MSF. This fundraiser is registered with The Danish Fundraiser board.
https://www.aardvark-editions.com/
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16/04/2020 - Berlin
LeaveNoOneBehind 10x20
To prevail through the Corona-crisis we need to focus on solidarity. As many events in our current system, the effects of this Virus will hit the ones hardest, who already have a hard time. There are so many points to which we can direct our attention - supporting the homeless, financing caregiver organisation to ensure the survival of our older generation or helping victims of domestic violence.
For this print-sale we decided to support the “Seenotrettung” who are helping people at our external borders. Refugee camps like “Moria” on Lesbos are racing towards a catastrophy. Social distancing or Quarantine is not possible if you live in a camp with 20.000 people, which is only layed out for 3.000. Once agai the small initiatives are left alone by the EU, but we can make a change.
To support this project we are selling limited edition c-prints in an edition of 20 each with 50% of the proceeds go directly to “Stiftungsfond Zivile Seenotrettung” For more information see leavenoonebehind2020.org
With your donation you support organisations at the external border, which are supporting refugees. The donations are directly donated to the “Stiftungsfond Zivile Seenotrettung”.Projects that support refugees on site can apply for funds unbureaucratically. This ensures that the donations arrive quickly and directly where they are needed.
Each print is 60€ + 5€ Shipping
CLOSED _ We are happy to have raised more than 1.500,00 € for Stiftungsfond Zivile Seenotrettung
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Whitelies Magazine - The Closure Issue: A Final Editors’ Letter
Writing these letters has never been a simple task; it’s a pursuit that calls to be undertaken in retrospect. Only after an issue has been carefully crafted, can I finally find myself contemplating it in its entirety. There’s a certain beauty in working on something that remains abstract up until the final moments before its completion. A similar thought comes over me as I reflect upon the eleven preceding issues, having witnessed them fuse into a greater project and narrative. Perhaps it is because we are bringing our journey to a close with this final, twelfth issue – a highly auspicious number for both Gregorian sun and lunisolar Yin calendars – that everything seems especially poignant.
In my research into the significance of the number 12, I’ve discovered that it often represents the completion of a cycle, a return to the starting point. It carries a remarkable weight in various contexts, from the twelve zodiac signs; twelve months in a year; to the twelve ancient Greek gods and goddesses residing on Mount Olympus; the twelve tribes of Israel; the twelve apostles; to the twelve imams following Muhammad in Islam. In Buddhism, life itself is believed to consist of twelve stages, with the twelfth stage holding particular sacredness. While these associations may not hold obvious, tangible significance in our modern day context, there is an undeniable sense of symbolic meaning in concluding our journey at this juncture. This is why we’ve chosen to feature twelve stories in this issue, as homage to the number’s universal resonance.
Twelve stories, each anchored by the theme of ‘closure’. Each extols the virtue of letting go, but not without also delving into themes of beauty, despair and melancholia that may come with it. Each narrative considers the motif of the circle visually or metaphysically; traverses cycles; contends with repetition; or chronicles the agony of an endless wait. Still, the stories of this issue bear witness to the relatable dramas of everyday life.
Our long-time collaborator, Lena C. Emery, presents us with a story drawn from an excerpt of her forthcoming book I undressed to climb a tree (est. 2024). In it, she juxtaposes the natural rhythms of life with the routinisation of urban environments. Her portrayal of listless young women evokes a sense of transition, reminiscent of the way Sofia Coppola captures moments of existential uncertainty in ‘Lost in Translation’, which feature complex portraits of personages struggling for clarity and resolution. Olivier Kervern’s story Rivers and Highways immortalizes moments that have passed, as the piece title infers; these moments linger like unclosed chapters, notes from a journey, fragments awaiting completion yet never intended to reach closure.
Photographer Stanislas Motz captures Sahteene Sednaoui in a story rich in symbolism, through a meticulous study of the interplay of shapes set against a monotone backdrop. Stephane Sednaoui, on the other hand, has contributed an abstract series titled Sombre (2023). This series looks inwardly to the convolutions of mental, chemical, physical and ethereal processes, all born of a personal tragedy. Sombre serves as a profound exploration of inner transformation, tracing a journey from ingress to rekindling contact with the external world.
In our special collaboration with Chanel, we focus on the Fall/Winter 2023/24 - Haute Couture collection—a presentation that unfolded with Chanel Artistic Director Virginie Viard’s portrayal of leisurely, Parisian life along the Seine in the height of summer. Enthralled its simultaneous effortlessness and exemplarity in sartorial craftsmanship, we decided to personify the collection by building a character. This character, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the magnetic Caroline de Maigret, finds herself stood up on the pavements on Paris, waiting indefinitely for a lover who will never arrive. In this story Unpredictable, we aimed to evoke the chic essence of 1980s editorial culture in New York, typified by the use of long camera lenses and strong women figures in the cityscape.
Over in Tokyo, our long-time collaborator Osamu Yokonami engages with the solitude, anonymity and restlessness that characterizes sprawling mega-metropolises. His piece “insert title here”, starring the inimitable Hiromi Ando, plays with stillness and motion-blurring, and completes the story he has woven throughout our previous issues. Beyond the frenetic heart of Tokyo, Jun Yasui has created a story inspired by the concept of the Sanzu-no-Kawa, which translates as "River of Three Crossings", or the "Sanzu River". In Japanese Buddhist tradition, this mythical river bears resemblance to the Greek concept of the Styx, the main underworld river that the ferryman Charon would take the souls of the dead across into Hades. Tom Baril, renowned for his role as the printmaker for the artist Robert Mapplethorpe and a genuine photographic hero of mine, graces this issue with his series titled Botanic (1999). In these images, he celebrates the transient and ephemeral qualities shared by both life and nature. Baril’s lens captures those fleeting moments of beauty that often slip from our hurried gaze. Baril’s photographs transcend mere representations of objects to become meditations on the fragility of existence.
Berlin-based photographer Mengyu Zhou offers a glimpse into her personal series (INSERT TITLE), captured earlier this year in her hometown (INSERT HOMETOWN) and which features her cousin Orange. Despite having shared formative moments of their childhood together, their life paths diverged as they grew into adulthood. This story is one of grief, dreams without fulfilment, and the challenge of reconciling with societal expectations. This ongoing photographic series ruminates upon the intricate struggle between a yearning for liberation from norms and the notion of self-sacrifice in service of family.
Belgian artist Katrien de Blauwer appears in Whitelies once again with a suite of her distinctive collages, selected from her larger body of work Why I fear red, love blue (and) hate yellow (2023). Her practice revolves around the collection, meticulous cutting, and thoughtful recycling of images—an act she likens to introspective self-examination. Likewise, in understanding artistic expression as a form of therapy, Elaine Tam’s newly commissioned personal essay Forever end serves as a fitting conclusion to this issue. Through piecemeal reflections that invoke private or diaristic notes, Tam explores the ambivalence of loss and guilt in the never-ending work towards closure.
Let’s keep it short and sweet—this twelfth issue, aptly titled 'Closure’, signs the end of our journey as a magazine. As an artist, I’ve always held a deep appreciation for project-based work, endeavors with distinct beginnings and endings. Some projects endure or last longer, while others are fleeting, but I find solace in their cycles, as much as the promise of continually moving forward and embarking on new journeys. This, to me, is the essence of how things should be. Letting go, I believe, is an art form in and of itself.
What has often troubled me about the rhythms of the fashion and magazine industry is how they tend to grow rigid and mechanistic over time. While I derive satisfaction from closing one issue and transitioning to the next, the parameters of our work are often heavily dictated by external factors, making it nearly impossible to experience a complete transformation after each cycle.
Upon reflection, I’ve come to the realization that, all along, I’ve understood Whitelies as more of an art project situated within a commercial context. This journey of over 10 years years has been profoundly personal, and I find it challenging to extricate myself from the magazine—our identities have become entwined. In some ways, bidding farewell is bittersweet, in others, I look back with pride and look ahead with an eagerness to see how it will metamorphosize.
In lieu of a conventional ‘best of’ compilation or the tired promise of ‘new beginnings’, we wanted to embrace the subject of closure in all its nuance; that this issue bids farewell to Whitelies in magazine form has been an opportunity to uphold all our commitments and values to the highest standard. More than a mere goodbye, this issue is a visual expression of the beauty in closure, a celebration of parting, and a call to embrace states of mourning.
Almost a decade ago, Whitelies came into existence as an undercover mission to make accessible the opaque and seemingly mutually exclusive realms of fashion and art. Our inaugural issue ‘Foundations’ reflected the early stages of this endeavor—a product designed to lend insight to what most people consider impenetrable territories.
With a team that was admittedly rather un-versed in the idiosyncrasies of publishing, we embarked on a learning journey, adapting our approach as our knowledge and experience grew. It soon became clear to us that our publication was, above all, deeply personal. Each chosen theme resonated with us at the moment of its inception, and now behaves as both document and archive. As though testifying to this, we dedicated the issue ‘Artisan’ to expressing our admiration for artists whose work possess a timeless quality. Extensive collaborations and conversations, notably with Geoffrey B. Smalls, helped us attend to the craftsmanship and artisanal qualities present within our own line of work.
When I write that everything up to our 9th issue was a preparatory phase for our unique purpose, I mean it in earnest. By then, we had had a sustained exposure to the trials of the magazine landscape. The pivotal shift came with the arrival of Covid-19 and the ensuing global pause, ideal for prolonged introspection. With the ‘Permanence’ issue, our voice finally found clarity and our mission became unequivocal. In those times of heightened isolation, we learned that our publication motivated something far beyond what was visible on the surface: a cultural conversation.
It was then that Whitelies became formally positioned as an intercultural dialogue between East Asia and Europe and, writing these words three years after this moment, I find myself in my new home in Tokyo, engaged in precisely this boundary- and border-crossing exchange on a daily basis. Perhaps it is through our publication that I discovered and held onto ways to remain close to my interests. Yet, at the heart of it, I no longer see the need to construct these bridges through our magazine, as much as through local initiatives and worldly experiences.
It's intriguing to reflect on the numerous remarkable interpretations of the name ‘Whitelies’ that I've encountered over the past decade, fully aware that my initial choice of the name was a simple coincidence. My approach to everything has often followed the playful adage, ‘fake it till you make it' and in the creative realm, this attitude is essential such that ‘Whitelies’ seems like a fitting title. We spin and weave stories and ideas with the hope that someone will take us seriously and lend credibility to our voice. The narratives we craft for ourselves, the stories we construct to captivate our audience, are invariably composed of multitudinous little white lies—fabrications that serve to smoothen the rough edges of our realities, or conjure alternative worlds. I could assert that this was precisely the approach and the essence behind the name ‘Whitelies’, however that would itself be a white lie. In 2012, as fate would have it, I strolled into an art gallery in Vienna. There, an artist was exhibiting a series of rather ordinary quotes fashioned from neon tubes. In one of the small rooms, a sign simply read ‘whitelies’.
That was it; it felt right, resonated within me, and so the name was born. The first sentences of Whitelies were penned in a run-down student flat in Vienna, and a means to escape the monotony of life as an economics student through the indefatigable propositions born of art. As I write these words today, I find myself in our Tokyo office, a remarkable eleven years later.
15/12/2023 - Tokyo, Japan
Work - Opportunity: Long-Term Assistant Position in Tokyo, Japan
Stefan Dotter is seeking for a long-term assistant in Tokyo, Japan. This mentorship program covers research, on-set assistance, production support, darkroom work, retouching, and more. The program lasts 2-3 years, with an option to extend. The work schedule includes a mix of half and full weeks, with breaks. This paid position also offers mentorship, advice, support, and workshops - specifically in terms of print making.
To apply, please send a motivation letter to studio@stefandotter.com
Requirements:
- Fluent Japanese
- Basic English
- Photoshop; Indesign; Lightroom; Capture One; - Basic to Advanced
- Use productivity programs such as Notion
15/11/2023 - Tokyo, Japan
Whitelies Magazine, the 12th Issue - ‘Closure’
“Whitelies Magazine,” as we know it, will come to a close with the release of our 12th and final issue, aptly titled “Closure.” This decision was far from easy, as we grappled with the delicate balance between the world of high-quality publishing and the challenging realities of the contemporary magazine industry. Ultimately, we realized that this format has its inherent limitations, and the time has come for a transformative journey into new territories.
For me personally, Whitelies Magazine has been an inseparable part of my identity, and taking this step is undeniably daunting. Yet, I firmly believe that stepping beyond one’s comfort zone often yields remarkable growth. „Whitelies Magazine“ was never meant to be a permanent endeavor, and as I reflect on more than a decade of pouring my heart into it, I am immensely proud of what we’ve collectively achieved over the years. I have always thrived on working on projects—ones that embark on a journey, evolve, and eventually find their natural conclusion, paving the way for something new. Within the confines of the rigorous magazine publishing schedule, this evolution often felt challenging.
Whitelies will endure in a new form. We’re actively working on fresh ways to express our creativity and connect with our community. I’m eager to share our upcoming projects when the time is right. However, today is about reflecting on our remarkable journey over the past eleven years and the virtue of embracing change. Our final issue, coming in November, is deeply personal and breaks away from our usual format. It’s a captivating visual exploration of the theme of “Closure,” seen through the eyes of the artists who’ve profoundly influenced us.
01/02/2023 - Tokyo, Japan
Now globally represented by HOME Agency
Effective immediately the studio is exclusively represented by Home Agency for all relevant markets. Find the contact informations below:
JP: nanami@homeagency.com
US: christine@homeagency.com
EU: jason@homeagency.com
29/09/2022 - Paris, France
Whitelies Magazine, the ‘Identity’ Exhibition
Fraught with social, cultural and political connotations, Identity is the medium through which we express and adopt signifiers. It’s that funny thing that acts as a connective tissue, joining us as particular individuals to the general or universal. It’s the question “Where are you from?” met with pause, and more pause. There are those who answer with conviction, while there are others who answer differently each time, but all of us speak of identity with our mouths full. What follows? Is our relationship to our identities a mix of pride, estrangement or shame? We could brandish our signs like hearts on our sleeves, or they are the comfort blanket that helps us to sleep well at night. We let others tie us up neatly up in a bow, sticky package label slapped on, hard to shirk. In strange ways, we find our- selves straying far from our roots, living in radically foreign places, just to inculcate a sense of longing; perhaps to long is part of what it means to belong, or at least more than we tend to think.
In this exhibition, the painfully intimate portraits of men by Nobuyoshi Araki’s protégé Sakiko Nomura subverts the ‘male gaze’; Zhong Lin reinterprets Satoshi Kons’ anima- tion “Perfect Blue” (1997), a nightmarish story about a youth pop idol who tries to outgrow her own image; Takashi Homma tails a model called Raiki around her everyday life in Tokyo; self-taught Hong Kong photographer Chan Wai Kwong reinvents the image culture he became acquainted with through his father, a news photographer.
Also lending visuals and voice to the idiosyncrasies of identity, Osamu Yokonami, Charlotte Stouvenot, Stefan Dotter, Stephane Sednaoui and Lena C Emery further explore its joys, aches and discontents. For Identity, above all, is what leaves us with that age-old existential puzzle: even if at the worst of times our differences appear pro- nounced, we look around the room and see plainly that we have managed to arrive here together, apart.
The artists presented in the exhibition are channels of both Eastern and Western identities, and serve to highlight the magazine’s aims to foster dialogue and forge an intercultural bridge between the two spheres. Working closely with the artists on the editorial commissions from concept to materialisation, the work here celebrates the past year of reflection and collaboration.
Group exhibition with Charlotte Stouvenot, Lena C. Emery, Osamu Yokonami, Stefan Dotter, Sakiko Nomura, Zhong Lin, Stephane Sednaoui, Chan Wai Kwong, Takashi Homma & Bennie Gay.
29/09/2022 - Berlin + Tokyo
Whitelies Magazine, the 11th Issue - ‘Identity’
“In retrospective the “I”, that I am, was for the majority of my twenties an uprooted entity. I sought out journeys for their difference in context and meaning, and I wound up in numerous settings that would strengthen my sense of self. Identity was some sort of performance to me; in every new environment I would “cherry pick” it for evidence of who I am. I would present the most appropriate facet of myself, because I was strongly aware that this version would be accepted and make my quest to integrate in communities was much easier. As shallow as it may seem, I never considered this deceitful. I like to imagine myself as shape with many faces – I just turn to a new angle of myself to catch the sun each time. But as you present these nicely curated angles of yourself, you naturally start hiding other angles as well. I felt estranged from my roots, and my nationality was something I had a hard time identifying with. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I often felt ashamed of being German, but I never understood it. And yet now that I live and work in Japan, a country that is so profoundly different from where I come from, I feel a very strong identification with my actual roots. It only took me 8,915.55 km of distance to finally return to my own roots, so that they can become yet another part of my identity.
This meditation on the term, however, is at once a privileged and very personal one. We are grateful to have had the chance to explore the theme of “identity” from a great number of different voices and positions within the pages of this issue. In “Shadows in the Network” C.J. Gartillou and Tam Mei Lin consider “shadow children”, a societally marginalised people barred from national identification, and with it, employment, travel, education, healthcare. Musical legend Terry Riley shares with us the spiritual and ethical dimensions of his work and outlook. Kiko Mizuhara and Yoon Anh the particularities of being ethnically Korean and working in the cultural industries in Japan. We are thrilled to re-print Amanda Lee Koe’s titillating Singapore-based short story “Pawn”, which charts the relationship between people from different cultural worlds, a collision also present in Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook’s artwork “Two Planets”, as is discussed by Sandy Yu. Photographer Zhong Lin reinterprets Satoshi Kons’ animation “Perfect Blue”, a story about a youth pop idol who is attempting to shed this image for that of a serious actress. We explore expressions of cultural and individual identity in food with a statement by chef Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen; a quarantine food diary by Zoe Suen; and a personal essay on language whose fulcrum is “Sweet Buns” by Elaine Tam. The issue is opened and closed by the deeply intimate work of Nobuyoshi Araki’s protégé Sakiko Nomura, and features further photographic works by the likes of Takashi Homma, Bennie Gay, Chan Rim and Chan Wai Kwon, to name but a few.
The notion of identity is a blessing and a curse alike. Identity marks the beginning and the end of everything; within it is the moment our species separated itself from the rest of the world. When we identified that a tree is a tree, when we called an acorn an acorn, we gave birth to separation. In philosophy “identity” is a predicate which functions as an identifier – a marker that distinguishes and differentiates one object from another object. Why do we build identities? In which instances are they expressions of passion and belonging, in which instances are they a spawn of fear? My personal history attests to the way identity can be built through fear, anxiety and the search for external validation, and I can imagine it is like this for many of us. Gradually, however, I believe it has been changing. And it is a profound experience when we are moved less the external, but by an appreciation of what is internal. Is the only true identity what we feel when we sit still, the object of our body at last disentangled from such thoughts? I hope you find yourselves in these pages as we have done. Enjoy, dear reader. “
- Letter from the Editor, Stefan Dotter
01/04/2022 - Tokyo, Japan
Relocation to Tokyo, Japan
Studio Stefan Dotter is proud to announce that we have officially relocated to Tokyo, Japan and will be working at the intersect of Europe and the far East. Our gratitude goes out to everyone who has been supportive of our big change.
01/01/2022 - Xingu River, Brazil
ATMOS: Listening as a Radical Act
Indigenous people are experts on planetary health. It’s why Health In Harmony, a nonprofit dedicated to reversing global heating, is listening to and acting on the experiences of rainforest communities across the world. Health In Harmony was founded on the knowledge that rainforest communities are experts on planetary health. It’s why they arrived in Xipaya Indigenous Land—a region in northern Brazil that was in 2015 ruptured by the construction of Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam—with no agenda and no plans. Instead, they asked the Indigenous people living in the territory’s five villages what they needed. For Juma Xipaia, the territory’s first female leader, the respect and recognition of Indigenous knowledge and expertise was a pleasant surprise. “It’s no use to wish to understand our needs without hearing directly from the communities and seeing the reality of each individual,” she said. “[That’s why] Health In Harmony was very well-received.” Since their collaborative work began, the first Xipaya project—with support from Health In Harmony—will be a traditional medicine center to revitalize the use of Indigenous healing practices. The Xipaya are also evolving the Carimã village, with the aim of preserving traditional customs and knowledge systems after the damage caused by Belo Monte.
Read on.
05/10/2021 - Paris, France
FUNDRAISER FOR AFGHANISTAN / EXPO
Together with photographer ERE Foundation and activist Sabrina Herzog, Stefan Dotter has united the work of 100 engaged photographers around a print sale, dedicated to the evacuation and resettlement of his 8 Afghan photography students. This fundraiser by photographers for photographers will enable 8 Afghan photography students to establish a life and profession outside of Afghanistan, while developing their photographic practice through future workshops.
The images will be on view and available for purchase at the Sheriff Gallery, Rue de Turenne 53 - 75003 Paris. Get your print at ere.earth/gallery.
Mathilde Agius • Danielle Alprin • Philippe Arlt • Alina Asmus • David Avazzadeh • Tess Ayano • David Baum • Edgar Berg • Kristin Bethge • Anthony Blasko • Jeff Boudreau • Anna Breit • Brendan George Ko • Kira Bunse • Juliette Cassidy • Kevin Castanheira • Ali Kate Cherkis • Lee John Clayton • Lauren Coleman • Volker Conradus • Elaine Constatine • Laura Jane Coulson • Elena Cremona • Matthieu Croizier • Jack Davison • Katrien De Blauwer • Quentin De Briey • Théo De Gueltzl • Max Dorsogna • Stefan Dotter • Laurence Ellis • Brad Elterman • Phil Engelhardt • Daniel Etter • Peter Fisher • Jermaine Francis • Maria Johanna Fritz • Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek • Gavin Green • Luca Grottoli • Marie Haefner • Amanda Hakan • Estelle Hanania • Jamie Hawkesworth • Alyssa Heuze • Hill & Aubrey • Alex Huanfa Cheng • Larissa Hofmann • Carlijn Jacobs • Jesse John Jenkins • Tom Johnson • Jack Johnstone • Kinga Katanics • Marc Krause • Adam Kremer • Dylan Kronen • Brendan George Ko • Charlotte Lapalus • Robbie Lawrence • Chloe Le Drezen • Massimo Leardini • Lucas Lehmann • Crista Leonard • Wai Lin Tse • Thomas Lohr • Maddy Minnis • Joachim Müller-Ruchholz • Nikki McClarron • Katsu Naito • Hans Neumann • Ina Niehoff • Anouk Nitsche • Zhenya Posternak • Remi Pujol• Mafalda Rakos • Jody Rogac • Alice Schillaci • Yannick Schuette • Sednaoui Stephane • Maximilian Semlinger • Emine Sevim-Zendegi • Laila Sieber • Flavia Sistiaga • Alec Soth • Mika Sperling • Charlotte Stouvenot • Julien T Hamon • Tajan Sophie • Marius Uhlig • Jonas Unger • Cyrille de Vignemont • Massimo Vitali • Alexandra Von Fuerst • Farzana Wahidy • Wrey Eddie • Watkins CT
“For the past two and a half years the Afghan photographer Farzana Wahidy, myself and a group of friends were working together on a joint mission in collaboration with UN agencies to hold photography workshops for a group of 8 ex-refugees who had recently returned to Afghanistan. Both a very intense and rewarding experience, it allowed me to witness the struggle Afghan people face on a daily basis, while being myself completely absorbed by the immense progress they were making over a short period of time.
As you of course know, the situation has turned especially dark in the past weeks and together with friends, colleagues and generous institutions our utmost priority over the last weeks has been to find an opportunity for the students to leave the country. The eight students part of the photography programme are currently in danger for the following reasons:
- As many in Afghanistan's Hazara Shiite community, the families of these young people suffered a campaign of persecution during the civil war of the 1990s and the first Taliban regime that forced them to flee to Iran. After the Taliban was overthrown in 2001, they returned to Afghanistan, believing they were safe. However, as we know from August 15th, the Taliban took over the government in the country so their lives are in danger once again;
- In addition to the Taliban, the Korashan Islamic State (also known as ISIS-K) sees Shiism as a heresy to Islam, and its attacks against the Hazara minority in particular have already killed hundreds, adding to the terror in the lives of an already vulnerable population.
- Another downside is that these photography students are categorised by extremist groups in the same way as journalist. As reported by human rights groups there is a growing threat to journalists in Afghanistan, at least 11 journalists were killed in targeted attacks in 2020 according to Amnesty International. Since 2001, more than 50 journalists have been killed in Afghanistan, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
- 6 people in the group are women. The threat of violence has always been a harsh reality for Afghan women but the impositions made by the Taliban government, already demonstrated by actions like the announcement of a full men's interim cabinet or banning certain sports for women, go beyond violence to an exclusion from life in society.
NGOs, government authorities from third-party countries, individuals concerned by the cause and myself have joined forces to support their emergency humanitarian visa applications in order to secure their safety and wellbeing. While the visas are currently in the process of being granted by a benevolent country, the students need their travel expenses covered (e.g. plane tickets, PCR tests, transportation, etc) as well financial support for the first 6 months to assure their stability and independence in a new country. In the context of this collective effort, the fundraiser will enable the students to establish a life and profession outside of Afghanistan, while developing their photographic practice with the help of other photographers.
All donations received will be managed by the ERE Foundation and distributed to the NGOs responsible for their resettlement in the new country. All donations will be distributed equally to the young photographers as soon as they arrive in their new home country.
While we are in advanced discussions with NGOs in their country of resettlement at this time for security reasons we will only share details on the student’s resettlement once they have safely reached their destination country.
You are welcome to contact us at hello@ere.earth if you have any questions or concerns or if you can offer any other support.
It is very important for us to be 100% transparent about where the funds are going and how they will help. Also what happens to the funds if we are not able to evacuate the students. In this case we would like to donate the funds to a non-profit, non-political organisation that supports photographers in Afghanistan through education, exhibitions, legal support, protection and much more. In the case that we raise more funds than necessary for the resettlement of the students, we are creating a trust fund for their future, which they can be used for necessary equipment, education & basic needs.
Thank you in advance for any help you can give these young people. I know each and every one of them will be immensely grateful for even the smallest donation.
While for security reasons we are unable to disclose the real identities of our students, thank you for your understating.”
- Statement by Stefan Dotter, 2021
13/04/2021 - London
British Journal of Photography & Palm Photo Prize 2021, Shortlisted
“Dotter’s project focuses on the details within the everyday rituals of the ama: female free divers preserving the ancient art of sea foraging. Dotter was able to make contact with the Nakagawas, an ama family based in Toba, Mie Prefecture. They invited him to stay at their home for a fortnight, to photograph mother anddaughter, Shizuka and Sanae, and their daily rituals passed down through generations of divers. “They offered me a glimpse into this tradition,” says Dotter, whose work focuses on the details of their daily rituals: the dainty metal attachments of their diving masks, a pair of feet moments before disappearing beneath the surface of the water, and a wooden barrel bobbing over its ripples.
“What draws me towards the tradition is the fact that it’s fading away, and I want to preserve it somehow,” says Dotter. “This is what also draws me so much to documentary photography… Some things don’t last forever. But we can make it last a little while longer with the work that we do.”
Link to article. BJP.
11/04/2021 - Berlin
Whitelies Magazine 9th issue themed ‘Permanence’
Stefan Dotter announces the release of hist latest issue exploring the theme of ‘Permanence’ on the 3rd of May. The studios most heartfelt issue yet on which we worked throughout the last year.
“As the magazine has progressed through the past 9 years, with different shifts of focus, we strongly feel that with this issue we are finally able to show our readers our essence and path forward into the future. Positioned as an inter-cultural bridge between the Asia-Pacific and what we perceive as the west, we dedicated this issue to some of the brightest artists working in Japan and also went in-depth with those creatives that are strongly connected to the East. It is an honor to take you on this trip, during a time where journeys are scarce. While most of the world looks at what is currently changing in this global whirlwind of events, we are focusing on what stays - on what is permanent. Our cultural hunger for exploring new worlds and connecting them to our own is something universal that, I should like to imagine, will continue to endure.”
01/02/2021 - Berlin
Image Licensing now via Connected Archives
A vast selection of Dotter’s work is now available for licensing via Connected Archives. It is an international collective of like-minded photographers ranging from upcoming talents to established and award-winning artists. Working within the realms of portrait, documentary, fashion, and fine-art photography, our pictures live on the pages of renowned newspapers and magazines. With our poetic and personal approach to photography, our visual language speaks to both commercial and artistic purposes. Click here.
30/11/2020 - Rotterdam, Milan, Paris
Life Framer Award
2nd prize at the latest Life Framer award judged by legendary photographer & filmmaker Alex Prager. This photograph is from a recent documentary Dotter shot around Toba, Mie Prefecture, focusing on the Ama divers. The wonderful smiling ladies are Saki Satonaka and Masayo Uemura, photographed in late march 2020.
“I love the raw emotion that emits from this image and the pure joy I feel looking it. The humanity seeps through in every detail and choice, compositionally and through the use of color (and lack there of). I was drawn to the expansiveness of the image as well as its simplicity.” – Alex Prager
The selected works will be shown in a travelling exhibition:
Contour Gallery, Rotterdam 29/11 - 19/12/2020
&co119, Paris 28/01 - 20/02/2021
Officine Fotografiche 25/03 - 13/04/2021
30/11/2020 - Uganda
ATMOS Magazine - Canaries in the Goldmines
A recent gold boom in Uganda has some of the country’s most vulnerable men, women, and even children scrambling to benefit—and at great personal risk. But Earthbeat, an unlikely nonprofit, is helping them create alternatives.
Read the article here.
10/06/2020 - London
The Earth Issue Freedom Fundraiser
100% of proceeds after printing and shipping will be split amongst the organizations on Bail Funds: George Floyd and the 4Front Project. All initial US donations will be directed to Black Lives Matter via the Bails Funds platform. However, The Earth Issue will continuously monitor the landscape of organisations needing funds, adjusting to whom we donate every 3 days based on needs and recommendations from frontliners in the civil rights struggle.
The Freedom Fundraiser print sale will be held for 30 days. Funds will be paid out to the organisations every three days. Prints will be sold for £100 including shipping. 100% of proceeds after printing and shipping will be donated. All prints for sale on this website are subject to copyright.
www.theearthissuefreedomfundraiser.com
20/05/2020 - Copenhagen
Pictures without Borders
Pictures Without Borders is photographers from all over the world, across genres, raising awareness towards the current global crisis and raising funds to support countries and regions most affected. MSF has a global response to the pandemic and the consequences of the global lockdown that causes limited acces to general medicin, medical aid, healthcare and food in countries and regions most affected. To read more about MSF's global response please visit msf.org
All prints cost 100€ and are in editions of 50. When buying a print for 100€, a donation of 70€ will be made directly to MSF in your name. The remaining 30€ is held for printing and packaging cost, all proceeds from the print and packaging cost will be donated to MSF. This fundraiser is registered with The Danish Fundraiser board.
https://www.aardvark-editions.com/
16/04/2020 - Berlin
LeaveNoOneBehind 10x20
To prevail through the Corona-crisis we need to focus on solidarity. As many events in our current system, the effects of this Virus will hit the ones hardest, who already have a hard time. There are so many points to which we can direct our attention - supporting the homeless, financing caregiver organisation to ensure the survival of our older generation or helping victims of domestic violence.
For this print-sale we decided to support the “Seenotrettung” who are helping people at our external borders. Refugee camps like “Moria” on Lesbos are racing towards a catastrophy. Social distancing or Quarantine is not possible if you live in a camp with 20.000 people, which is only layed out for 3.000. Once agai the small initiatives are left alone by the EU, but we can make a change.
To support this project we are selling limited edition c-prints in an edition of 20 each with 50% of the proceeds go directly to “Stiftungsfond Zivile Seenotrettung” For more information see leavenoonebehind2020.org
With your donation you support organisations at the external border, which are supporting refugees. The donations are directly donated to the “Stiftungsfond Zivile Seenotrettung”.Projects that support refugees on site can apply for funds unbureaucratically. This ensures that the donations arrive quickly and directly where they are needed.
Each print is 60€ + 5€ Shipping
CLOSED _ We are happy to have raised more than 1.500,00 € for Stiftungsfond Zivile Seenotrettung
