Berghain will reopen as an art gallery from September 9th.
Berghain will open its doors on September 9th, but with no thuds of techno or sex-fuelled dark rooms. Teaming with art collector Christian Boros, the legendary Berlin nightclub, which has been closed since March to protect its visitors against the coronavirus, will reopen as an art gallery.
Featuring works from over 80 artists produced during lockdown, ‘Studio Berlin’ will include photography, sculpture, painting, video, sound, performance and installations. The show will include the likes of Wolfgang Tillmans, Anne Imhof and Olafur, as well as other emerging and established artists from or living in Berlin. With its notoriously exclusive door policy, the exhibition will give visitors a unique chance to explore the club’s enigmatic 3,500-sq-metre space.
An old power plant located between the Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg districts, Berghain is renowned for its hedonistic techno parties, beginning Friday night and continuing well into Sunday. It has hosted many of the world’s most esteemed DJs – residents include Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock, whilst Detroit legends Carl Craig and Jeff Mills have also played. Yet in the wake of Covid-19, nightclubs around the world are struggling to stay afloat.
Whilst Berlin nightclubs have received an average of €80,000 of emergency funds, organisers now fear that they will not be able to continue paying employees. Clubs have been finding other ways to utilise their space; venues with gardens like Klunkerkranich and ://about blank have reopened as beer gardens, whilst others have held quiz nights or flea markets. In July, Berghain hosted “Eleven Songs – Halle am Berghain”, a sound installation by Berlin-based artist duo tamtam (comprised of Sam Auinger and Hannes Strobl).
Studio Berlin is the latest of Bergain’s attempts to preserve the nightclub through the pandemic. “The artists were all in their studios instead of on aeroplanes,” Christian Boros told The Art Newspaper. “We wanted to show this incredible artistic production. Berlin was frozen, so why not think differently? Why not work together?”
The entrance fee will go towards supporting Berghain. Visitors will also be able to book a virtual tour.
For more information, visit Studio Berlin’s website.
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