Tropical Stoemp #05: You Want it Darker

Tropical Stoemp is a photography review by photobook/magazine publisher Le Mulet (Belgium), beautifully designed by Studio Dirk. It exclusively features photographs, telling a long story through multiple artistic voices rather than individual portfolios. Each of the issues is organised around a theme provided by a song.

This time, it was Leonard Cohen’s “You Want It Darker,” written by the elderly artist just before his passing, as he prepared to face his creator. The song, and consequently this issue of Tropical Stoemp, explores deep existential questions and an ambivalent relationship with God, culminating in the Hebrew phrase “Hineni, hineni” (“Here I am”), signifying a readiness for what’s to come. It delves into the darkness of the world while simultaneously searching for light, contrasting modern avoidance of death with historical post-mortem photography. The publication truly offers a unique exploration of the transition between existence and eternal sleep.

Tropical Stoemp was presented at the Arles Book Fair in 2025:

Nous sommes heureux de vous annoncer que le cinquième numéro de Tropical Stoemp #05: YOU WANT IT DARKER sera présenté lors du Arles Books Fair au collège Saint Charles, Les Rencontres de la photographie, Arles, du 10 au 12 juillet 2025.