#TRUEDITIONSMONOKEL EYEWEAR x CRISTA LEONARD

#TRUEDITIONS is a photo project by Crista Leonard in collaboration with Monokel Eyewear. It consists of four separate chapters portraying the

myths of Swedish summer traditions. The four parts are: "Midsommar", "Allemansrätten", "Lagen om danstillstånd" and "Midnattssol".

”MIDSOMMAR”(Midsummer)

Midsummer is considered to be one of the most important traditions in Sweden. Held around the night of the summer solstice, it was originally a

pagan celebration of crops and fertility. Back then, midsummer was thought to be one of the times of the year when magic was the strongest. Modern midsummer celebrations include dancing around a giant phallic symbol

”Midsommarstången” as it impregnates the ground, while simultaneously consuming large amounts of schnapps and singing songs about small

frogs. Midsummer is one of the days in Sweden when most children are conceived, and the day of the year with the highest rate of violent assaults.

”ALLEMANSRÄTTEN”(Freedom to roam)

Many Swedish traditions are connected to nature, which in combination with our socialist background has given birth to the idea that no one truly owns land. A classic example of that is the so called ”Allemansrätt”, which is a freedom granted by the constitution of Sweden. It gives anyone the right to walk, pick fruit and berries and camp on almost any land, even privately owned, as long as you ”do not disturb, and do not destroy”.

”LAGEN OM DANSTILLSTÅND”

(The law of dance permission)In Sweden, all bars and nightclubs need a special “dancing license” in order for guests to be

allowed to dance. Out of roughly 1100 bars in Stockholm, only about 100 have the license. If someone were to begin dancing at an establishment without a license, the owner is obliged to immediately turn down the music and make the dancing stop. Failing to do so may otherwise result in a fine or a withdrawn alcohol license. This has led to a rather fun

alternative club culture in Sweden, dating back to the 1930s, where parties and clubs started to be organized outside of all laws and permissions. Gaining a lot of attention in the

90s with a number of underground rave parties, this movement is still present today with parties hosted by portable sound systems on bikes, well organized deep forest festivals and

raves in abandoned buildings and street tunnels.

”MIDNIGHT SUN”(Midnattssol)

Many Midnight sun is a phenomenon where the sun never completely sets below the horizon, leading to a long period of endless daylight. This only occurs north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle during the

respective summer months. Visitors to these regions may experience difficulty sleeping and an offset in circadian rhythms. Every year people

from the north succumb to the light, determined to enjoy every last minute of sunshine, to a point where many enter in to a state of hypomania.