Issue 02
Issue No2 Harmonies Rising
Hania Rani
This second issue of Vanguard Union Press is devoted to Hania Rani, a composer, pianist, and vocalist whose genre-blending music draws on classical, jazz, and electronic influences. Born in Gdansk, Poland, and now based in London, Rani has gained international acclaim through a series of evocative albums, including Esja, Home, Ghosts, and Nostalgia — and has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Sydney Opera House, Berlin Philharmonie, Salle Pleyel, Barbican Centre, and Palau de la Musica. Her appearances for platforms like ARTE, Cercle, and NPR’s Tiny Desk have reached millions, cementing her reputation as a transformative presence in contemporary music.
Morton Feldman, Visual Scores, 1962
Hannah Arendt
Hania Rani
"Music and art are especially powerful in their ability to open you up, to bring people together and share a common experience despite the seemingly insurmountable differences in culture, race, social class, political affiliation or religious belief."
Trisha Brown
Control Room of Polish Radio in Warsaw by Hania Rani, 2019, Vanguard Union Press poster
1
2
3
4
Hania Rani
"At some point, I think we need more radical voices in art and culture. Davis thinks that finding a common, relatable element is key — it’s what allows people to take a more active role in opposing political injustices. There needs to be something that resonates on a personal level."
Angela Davis and John Akomfrah
Alberto Giacometti, Le chat, 1955
Hania Rani
"History has shown that fame and recognition aren’t always indicators of true artistic brilliance. Some of the most groundbreaking art was overlooked in its time simply because it was too intricate, too bold, too ahead of its era."
Julie Mehretu, Transcending - The New International, 2003
Hania Rani
"Maybe, in the end, legacy isn’t just about what we leave behind, but about how we engage with time while we have it — what we give, how we shape the lives around us, and whether we are present enough to make that time meaningful."
Issue 01
Issue No1 Frequencies of Freedom
Dylan Solomon Kraus
The first issue of Vanguard Union Press is devoted to Dylan Solomon Kraus. Born in Ohio, US in 1987, and currently circulating between Berlin and New York, Kraus is best known for his oneiric nightscapes incorporating themes of the human psyche, clockwork interplays of the cosmos, and multilayered spiritual symbolism. Growing up hiking and camping, the artist’s early experiences seem to have instilled in him a profound reverence for nature, which is now visibly foundational to his work. The interview touches on a wide range of topics: from power structures, social upheavals, civilizational collapse, and technological dependency to the intelligence in nature and Dylan’s hope in regenerative agriculture. You can read the full conversation here.
Joel-Peter Witkin, Still life, Marseilles, 1992
Honoré Daumier, Masques de 1831, 1832
Dylan Solomon Kraus
“The broader social, technological, and life-on-earth changes that need to take place won’t be solved merely by protesting but by creative solutions that address the root problems. It’s this Beuysian idea of every person having to become an artist — workers, creators, craftsmen, architects, or poets dismantling repressive forces by recreating the fabric of the social organism as a work of art. Figuring out creative solutions is a true act of rebellion for me.”
Dylan Solomon Kraus
“I heard an interesting comparison recently — it says we were created by Ma and Pa. Ma — matter and Pa — pattern. Nature is a combination of those things. It alludes to consciousness, intelligence. Consciousness expressing itself in many different ways. The power of light to grow things. Geometry passing through all things, you see different ratios everywhere. It’s purely spiritual.“
Corona of Solar Eclipse, 1896
Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, 1970
Karl Blossfeldt, Polystichum Munitum, 1928
Fibionacci spirals on pine cone, Ice Crystal
Dylan Solomon Kraus
“I got into punk rock when I was younger, which was all about rebelling against oppressive power structures, polluting industries, interventionist wars and destabilizing foreign governments. It was subversive, and those in power didn’t like it, or understand it. The thing about power is that it recognises the immense potential of art to light entire crowds on fire, to sway people. It can explain things very clearly. You know that art is powerful because of the desire to censor, or control it.”
Top: Black Flag, Damaged Bottom: Gordon Parks, The Invisible Man, Harlem, 1952
Edward Colver, The Flip (Alternare Version), 1981
Harun Farocki, Inextinguishable Fire, 1969
Dylan Solomon Kraus
“People want to make progress without thinking about the consequences. Taking away meaningful work, taking away local production, homogenising all the sources of knowledge — I think it’s all very questionable. Progress towards what exactly? Some half-baked idea of what the human being can or should be? The final destination of Earth might not necessarily end up like the Jetsons.”
Bob Hines and Rachel Carson conducting marine biology research in Florida, 1952
Godfrey Reggio, Koyaanisqatsi, music by Philip Glass, 86min, 1983
Dylan Solomon Kraus
“Just look at who controls the seeds and how they are intertwined with power. Seeds are the very substance of independence for people and without them we become tied to a system which controls our very sustenance. Food is as powerful as weapons or technology; its importance is universally recognized, which is why various entities want to control it.”
Rockefeller Archive Center, Rice biotechnology, 1989. Svalbard Seed Vault, Norway
Buckminster Fuller, Building construction blueprint, 1954
Jeremy Narby, The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of knowledge, 1998. The papyrus of Henuttawy in the British Museum.
Dylan Solomon Kraus
“We know that the modern education system, at least in America, was engineered to make compliant factory workers, not free thinkers. This standardised, narrow model has produced generations of individuals conditioned to accept uncreative, surface-level learning and interaction with the world.”
Bob Marley, Rebel Music, 1986
Richard Ross, Architecture of Authority, 2007
Emory Douglas, Afro-American solidarity with the oppressed People of the world, 1969
Dylan Solomon Kraus
“Whenever I’m personally confronted with death, I start to see and value life so differently, I immediately put importance on different things. Perhaps this is why it’s being obfuscated in our culture, perhaps it’s because you might re-evaluate your priorities and look for other ways to find satisfaction in life. Reflecting upon the fact that you will die can be a good meditation, a good way to bring courage to yourself and change the life you live, put in the context.”
Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych, 1886
Akira Kurosawa, Ikiru, 1952
Maha Pari Nirvana, relief, circa 100/299
Hilma af Klint, Untitled #1, 1915
Hania Rani
Issue No2 Harmonies Rising
This second issue of Vanguard Union Press is devoted to Hania Rani, a composer, pianist, and vocalist whose genre-blending music draws on classical, jazz, and electronic influences. Born in Gdansk, Poland, and now based in London, Rani has gained international acclaim through a series of evocative albums, including Esja, Home, Ghosts, and Nostalgia — and has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Sydney Opera House, Berlin Philharmonie, Salle Pleyel, Barbican Centre, and Palau de la Musica. Her appearances for platforms like ARTE, Cercle, and NPR’s Tiny Desk have reached millions, cementing her reputation as a transformative presence in contemporary music.
Morton Feldman, Visual Scores, 1962
Hannah Arendt
"Music and art are especially powerful in their ability to open you up, to bring people together and share a common experience despite the seemingly insurmountable differences in culture, race, social class, political affiliation or religious belief."
Hania Rani
Control Room by Hania Rani, Warsaw, 2019, Vanguard Union Press poster
Trisha Brown
"At some point, I think we need more radical voices in art and culture. Davis thinks that finding a common, relatable element is key — it’s what allows people to take a more active role in opposing political injustices. There needs to be something that resonates on a personal level."
Hania Rani
Angela Davis and John Akomfrah
Alberto Giacometti, Le chat, 1955
"History has shown that fame and recognition aren’t always indicators of true artistic brilliance. Some of the most groundbreaking art was overlooked in its time simply because it was too intricate, too bold, too ahead of its era."
Hania Rani
Julie Mehretu, Transcending - The New International, 2003
"Maybe, in the end, legacy isn’t just about what we leave behind, but about how we engage with time while we have it — what we give, how we shape the lives around us, and whether we are present enough to make that time meaningful."
Hania Rani
Dylan Solomon Kraus
Issue No1 Frequencies of Freedom
The first issue of Vanguard Union Press is devoted to Dylan Solomon Kraus. Born in Ohio, US in 1987, and currently circulating between Berlin and New York, Kraus is best known for his oneiric nightscapes incorporating themes of the human psyche, clockwork interplays of the cosmos, and multilayered spiritual symbolism. Growing up hiking and camping, the artist’s early experiences seem to have instilled in him a profound reverence for nature, which is now visibly foundational to his work. The interview touches on a wide range of topics: from power structures, social upheavals, civilizational collapse, and technological dependency to the intelligence in nature and Dylan’s hope in regenerative agriculture. You can read the full conversation here.
Joel-Peter Witkin, Still life, 1992
Honoré Daumier, Masques de 1831
“The broader social, technological, and life-on-earth changes that need to take place won’t be solved merely by protesting but by creative solutions that address the root problems. It’s this Beuysian idea of every person having to become an artist — workers, creators, craftsmen, architects, or poets dismantling repressive forces by recreating the fabric of the social organism as a work of art. Figuring out creative solutions is a true act of rebellion for me.”
Dylan Solomon Kraus
“I heard an interesting comparison recently — it says we were created by Ma and Pa. Ma — matter and Pa — pattern. Nature is a combination of those things. It alludes to consciousness, intelligence. Consciousness expressing itself in many different ways. The power of light to grow things. Geometry passing through all things, you see different ratios everywhere. It’s purely spiritual.“
Dylan Solomon Kraus
Corona of Solar Eclipse, 1896
Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, 1970
Fibionacci spirals on pine cone, Ice Crystal
Karl Blossfeldt, Polystichum Munitum, 1928
“I got into punk rock when I was younger, which was all about rebelling against oppressive power structures, polluting industries, interventionist wars and destabilizing foreign governments. It was subversive, and those in power didn’t like it, or understand it. The thing about power is that it recognises the immense potential of art to light entire crowds on fire, to sway people. It can explain things very clearly. You know that art is powerful because of the desire to censor, or control it.”
Dylan Solomon Kraus
Black Flag, Damaged. Gordon Parks, The Invisible Man, 1952
Edward Colver, The Flip (Alternare Version), 1981
Harun Farocki, Inextinguishable Fire, 1969
“People want to make progress without thinking about the consequences. Taking away meaningful work, taking away local production, homogenising all the sources of knowledge — I think it’s all very questionable. Progress towards what exactly? Some half-baked idea of what the human being can or should be? The final destination of Earth might not necessarily end up like the Jetsons.”
Dylan Solomon Kraus
Godfrey Reggio, Koyaanisqatsi, music by Philip Glass, 86min, 1983
Bob Hines and Rachel Carson conducting marine biology research in Florida, 1952
“Just look at who controls the seeds and how they are intertwined with power. Seeds are the very substance of independence for people and without them we become tied to a system which controls our very sustenance. Food is as powerful as weapons or technology; its importance is universally recognized, which is why various entities want to control it.”
Dylan Solomon Kraus
Rockefeller Archive Center, Rice biotechnology, 1989. Svalbard Seed Vault, Norway
“It used to be understood that people could have other views and still exist together. Now we’re in this time where anything that is against the grain is a perceived threat. But that is true diversity, a human garden, we’re all cultivating different things. You can’t just mono-crop thinking, even if it’s right. If there are some things that I think are right, I’m not gonna jam it down your throat, you’re allowed to live your life, you’re allowed to see things not the way I see them.”
Dylan Solomon Kraus
Jeremy Narby, The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of knowledge, 1998. The papyrus of Henuttawy in the British Museum.
Buckminster Fuller, Building construction blueprint, 1954
“We know that the modern education system, at least in America, was engineered to make compliant factory workers, not free thinkers. This standardised, narrow model has produced generations of individuals conditioned to accept uncreative, surface-level learning and interaction with the world.”
Dylan Solomon Kraus
Bob Marley, Rebel Music, 1986
Emory Douglas, Afro-American solidarity with the oppressed People of the world, 1969
Richard Ross, Architecture of Authority, 2007
“Whenever I’m personally confronted with death, I start to see and value life so differently, I immediately put importance on different things. Perhaps this is why it’s being obfuscated in our culture, perhaps it’s because you might re-evaluate your priorities and look for other ways to find satisfaction in life. Reflecting upon the fact that you will die can be a good meditation, a good way to bring courage to yourself and change the life you live, put in the context.”
Dylan Solomon Kraus
Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych, 1886
Akira Kurosawa, Ikiru, 1952
Hilma af Klint, Untitled #1, 1915
Maha Pari Nirvana, relief, circa 100/299
Vanguard Union Press
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