Darkness Visible is a visual journey through urban landscapes portraying their structural and formal qualities. Conceived as a black and white study it presents a narrative of fictional minimalism that is drawn from real places in present time.

The scenes and views caught and selected by Berlin based artist Mani Nejad speak a distinct aesthetic language that sets these works apart from the genre of classic city portraiture as we know it. All of the images have been shot between dusk and dawn with the idea to set the stage in this certain mood of in-between: When greyscales prevail and the many hues of black suddenly get noticed, when the scene is dark and yet objects can be clearly discerned.

Key to the study is also the idea of exploring proportion and dimension in existing architectural environments and translating them into aesthetic compositions in their own right. Using a monochrome palette of black and white seems only logic in order to work out the essence of light and shadow and the stunning geometries that emerge from this pure form of energy. The focus is mostly on the relation between light and space and how we see the space because of light, and how we see the light because of the space and materials.

While working on Darkness Visible with its focus on urban landscapes and spatial compositions there were moments of fascination and surprise when encountering individual objects that stood out due to their strong sculptural language as well as their startling presence and immediacy. It became clear that these “objets trouvés” should be included in the series as striking examples of extraordinary singular pieces that are creating whole stories with a highlight on material character and manage to resonate with meaning and content.

Simply by being there they trigger associations, revive memories and recall experience. It happens that individual objects are at times more prominent within a visual performance than the overall image of a whole environment. The scenic view can be disappointing and blurred in its message while the single object is precise and near, demanding full attention, not allowing any kind of distraction.

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Darkness Visible is an ongoing photo study and project that may ideally be combined with limited edition archival pigment prints of the artist. For further information please feel free to contact us.

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