To step onto the hallowed dancefloor of Berghain – the infamous Berlin techno club – you’ll need to encounter Sven Marquardt. Berghain, set in a former power station, is famous for its huge cavernous industrial space, world-class DJs, multi-day parties, and notoriously difficult entry policy. It’s not unusual to line up for hours only to be politely, yet firmly declined by the bouncer. And that bouncer is Sven Marquardt.
Speculation runs rife about Marquardt’s decision-making process in maintaining Berghain’s perfect techno ecosystem (should you wear only black? Speak German? Know the names of all the DJs?) – but outside of Germany, Marquardt isn’t as well-known for his decades-long photography career.
This Friday, Marquardt, with support from Germany’s Goethe-Institut will launch his first-ever exhibition in Australia, at Newport’s Substation. Fotografien will delve into the artist’s life in Berlin’s club subculture through a series of arresting analogue portraits.
Photograph: Sven Marquardt
Photograph: Sven Marquardt