Clubs are cultural venues, subcultural habitats, and safe havens. Clubs are temporary autonomous zones and sites of escapism. They can break open social norms; they are fleeting, physical, and communal. In clubs, people form relationships with one another and negotiate rules. In clubs, people work. Clubs are both a heterotopia and an economic factor.
In recent years, the awareness of club culture has shifted — not least due to the growing threat facing many clubs. Berlin’s techno culture has been recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage, club culture is now the subject of academic research, and digital archives are emerging. This is where the presentation Club Kultur Bestand Aufnahme takes its starting point.
The Berlin club Mensch Meier serves as an example and source of material here. After its closure, Mensch Meier handed over a collection of materials to the Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge for inclusion in its holdings. The resulting presentation shows various approaches to preserving club culture. At the same time, it understands itself as an attempt to bring club culture into the museum space.
At the heart of Club Kultur Bestand Aufnahme is the question: can club culture be collected, documented, and exhibited? And if so, how?
In the midst of the Open Depot, the Object Stage offers space for collaborations, artistic interventions, and new perspectives on the collection.
