Finally! The feared and mystified bouncers of the infamous Berlin club scene are featured in their own film! Didn’t you always want to know what a bouncer is like in daily life? Director David Dietl accompanied three well-known bouncers, Frank Künster, Sven Marquardt and Smiley Baldwin, for a while to give us a glimpse behind the curtains of the people that you usually have a very one-sided conversation with – “bitte” or “heute leider nicht”.
Berlin Bouncer tells the story of the development of Berlins nightlife and fills us in about the good and the ugly parts of its history. From the Fall of the Wall until today, Berlin’s party scene has changed and evolved dramatically. Who has witnessed it more up close and personal than Berlin’s club bouncers? Dietl takes us far beyond the party scene, deep into the story of each protagonist and into their daily lives.
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by Franziska | Movies, Party, People
The story of Berghain being recognized as a venue that produces “work of cultural significance” and is, therefore, subject to lower taxation made it even to the Guardian a couple of weeks ago. It is impressive to say the very least; as it is the following song by Rachel Glassberg & The Disasters, which narrates an imaginary story about the famous photographer Sven Marquardt, who is also known as the notorious Berghain bouncer. Pay attention to the lyrics; they are full of grit and humor.
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by Nikos | Music, Videos
How can an artist be totally underground (whatever this means) and internationally famous at the same time? What might seem like a contradiction in Los Angeles, London, New York and Paris, is totally possible in Berlin. It is not unusual to meet pop star Peaches eating a snack at Kotti or stumble upon the world’s most famous doorman Sven Marquardt in a small gallery at an opening of an exhibition. So far, all these underground stars have been working in different fields. Of course, some of them have collaborated already, but the project I am about to present to you is more than that.
Initiated by the Audi Zeitgeist Project, dedicated to support experimental art and creative disciplines of all genres, an alliance of exceptional artists from Berlin has come together for a creative masterpiece called Black Mountain. In this experimental short film the artist collective Like a wild beast’s fur, composer Moritz von Oswald and Artistic Director Jan Engel reinterpreted Richard Wagners Opera Parsifal. On the 3rd of July the whole short film was released online on Audi-City starring famous Volskbühne actors like Alexander Scheer, Volker Spengler and Jasna Fritzi Bauer and famous performers like VER.u.s.c.h.k.a., Peaches, Sven Marquardt and many more.
This contemporary take on the opera is revitalizing the traditional piece, setting it inside a dark Berlin techno club. Apart from the movie there was an immersive exhibition open to the public at Gallery Ebensperger. There you could walk through the installation of Hauke Odendahl, which offered a deep immersive experience into the concept of the art piece. During the shooting of the film, one of our favorite Berlin photographers, Florian Kolmer, took individual portraits of the actors and performers.
Check out the full short film and some pictures of the exhibition after the jump.
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by Claudio | Art, Movies
If Berlin were the solar system, Berghain would be the sun for a looooot of people. Some days it seems like everything and everybody is circulating around this place. Throughout the weekend and sometimes on Mondays, I see tons of people wandering through Friedrichshain and over Warschauer Straße, magnetically drawn to Berghain. And as mythical as the place is, as various are the myths of how to get in. In various Italian blogs I read absurd guides on how to be let in by Sven and co. One of the most common (and silly) assumptions is that you have to look gay to get in. But there are many more false assumptions about what the doormen of Berghain like and what they don’t.
A very funny and unique clarification of the myths out there is this cute guide created by talented illustrator Sophia Halamoda. In 28 drawings she presents her own tongue-in-cheek wisdom of how entering Berghain works. Enjoy the hilarious illustrations below.
If you enjoy the comic you might want to check out our new book Like A Berliner which we did together with Sophia. The Berghain Comic is inside of the book as are many other amazing club stories and comics about the life in Berlin.
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by Claudio | Art, Party
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years now since I went to Berghain for the first time. Time flies! Even though I had also been to previously legendary techno clubs such as the old Tresor, Casino, Ostgut and the original Panorama Bar, WMF and the old Maria I have to admit that even I was impressed when I walked into this amazing building with its unique architecture, interior design and integrated art that can’t be compared with anything else. It was to be expected that this would become one of the worls most renowned clubs. Next week, on Thursday August 7th 2014, Berghain is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with a huge exhibition at their Halle, the huge space that is on the right side of the building and that they sadly rarely use for public events. Artists Norbert Bisky, Marc Brandenburg, Ali Kepenek, Sven Marquardt, Carsten Nicolai, Piotr Nathan, Friederike von Rauch, Sarah Schönfeld, and Viron Erol Vert will show a wide range of genres including painting, photography, installation and sculpture. We can be looking forward to a spectacular show in a spectacular setting I am sure. After the jump you can get an impression of what these artists have created in the past. Of course their work for the Berghain exhibition titled 10 is still kept secret. You can visit the exhibition from the 7th until the end of August. Read on…
by Frank | Art