Wether you live in Berlin like i do since 12 years now or not, chances is are you heard of that iconic club called Berghain, his famous door and doormen has always made quite a subject to many conversations at it seems for many that accessing the club is a quest that some never succeed to achieve... Though i never really had any trouble to get in, i also got refused several times and friends of mine indeed never made it inside.
That's also what happened years ago to contemporary artist Philip Topolovac... he therefore decided to create by hand a sculpture of the club all in cork that became also a famous art piece and travelled in museums all around the globe, perpetuating the legend of Berghain.
"I've never been to " is about interpretation, wonders, fantasies... for those who has not been there, "what is Berghain ?" is a question we wanted to illustrate thought that project, what does it stands for, what does it represent... For many its a legend, a temple of Techno music, for others it's about parties and connections, it can be about LGBTQ communities. Depending how you think of it, it can also be just a money making factory in a way, or you can be attracted to its brutalist architecture, it's aswell a symbol of Berlin and its history, there's many interpretations and first thoughts when you think abou tit, we decided to translate them visually into 15 uniques point of views that place Philip Topolovac's sculptures into hand crafted environments that captures those ideas. Berghain at the end is not only this first thought, its all of them at once. It's all of the above and more.
That's also what happened years ago to contemporary artist Philip Topolovac... he therefore decided to create by hand a sculpture of the club all in cork that became also a famous art piece and travelled in museums all around the globe, perpetuating the legend of Berghain.
"I've never been to " is about interpretation, wonders, fantasies... for those who has not been there, "what is Berghain ?" is a question we wanted to illustrate thought that project, what does it stands for, what does it represent... For many its a legend, a temple of Techno music, for others it's about parties and connections, it can be about LGBTQ communities. Depending how you think of it, it can also be just a money making factory in a way, or you can be attracted to its brutalist architecture, it's aswell a symbol of Berlin and its history, there's many interpretations and first thoughts when you think abou tit, we decided to translate them visually into 15 uniques point of views that place Philip Topolovac's sculptures into hand crafted environments that captures those ideas. Berghain at the end is not only this first thought, its all of them at once. It's all of the above and more.
Scenography
NFT Berlin conference 2022 @ Alte Munze
What a better location than Berlin's former State Mint "Alte Munze" to present our project for the first Berlin NFT Conference which attracted thousands of visitors this summer. We had the chance to be able to propose and develop a scenography that really made an impression and created a immersive experience to discover the project.
Right after the exhibition cube created by amazing Obj Studio, staircases going to the underground of the old building, an old industrial brutalist long 50m dark tunnel were welcoming the visitors, the heavy bass of techno music resonating from the end of that tunnel were the sculpture was standing. Along the way, a second NFT and photography project also by blnft.io presenting unique black and white portraits of the infamous Berghain bouncers, for once and for this time only they were kind of welcoming you along the way to get closer and closer to Berghain.
Walking thought that tunnel, with those bouncers next to you, the sound of the techno rising, the darkness leading to the light and the sculpture was to me the highlight of the conference exhibition. We hope we'll be able to make that exhibition travel now around the globe aswell.
NFT Berlin conference 2022 @ Alte Munze
What a better location than Berlin's former State Mint "Alte Munze" to present our project for the first Berlin NFT Conference which attracted thousands of visitors this summer. We had the chance to be able to propose and develop a scenography that really made an impression and created a immersive experience to discover the project.
Right after the exhibition cube created by amazing Obj Studio, staircases going to the underground of the old building, an old industrial brutalist long 50m dark tunnel were welcoming the visitors, the heavy bass of techno music resonating from the end of that tunnel were the sculpture was standing. Along the way, a second NFT and photography project also by blnft.io presenting unique black and white portraits of the infamous Berghain bouncers, for once and for this time only they were kind of welcoming you along the way to get closer and closer to Berghain.
Walking thought that tunnel, with those bouncers next to you, the sound of the techno rising, the darkness leading to the light and the sculpture was to me the highlight of the conference exhibition. We hope we'll be able to make that exhibition travel now around the globe aswell.
Unfortunately i lost my footages of the tunnel after breaking my smartphone ... but luckily, the amazing team of obj.studio made a video about the exhibition in which one you can have a glimpse of it, see below at 00:52 :)
video credit: obj.studio
The collection
Here's a quick view of all the animated pieces that makes the collection.
Here's a quick view of all the animated pieces that makes the collection.
The Temple
"The temple" was for me my favourite piece to work on as it needed to me really hand crafted and sculpted, the idea was to make some kind of Rococo Renaissance unique furniture to carry the sculpture. Inspired mostly by André-charles Boulle's Mazarine's cabinet from 1708, it keeps its features while being remodeled by hand with elements and iconography related to the iconic clubs, the fact that's the club is mostly carried by the support of its community or its "devotes" would say some, was a detail we really liked with Philip. The iconography was using references to Bacchus, Satyr and nymph, Psyche, aswell as Ganymede and Antinous ancient Greek homoerotic art.
Evolution & Roadmap
1/ Scan the original art piece "I´ve never been to Berghain" from Philip Topolovac in every detail using photogrammetry
2/ Create 30 digital art NFTs - of which 15 are unique versions
3/ 05/25/22 - Project launch at NFT Berlin Conference with the artists Philip Topolovac and Neopen
4/ Randomly sell 30 NFTs on Ethereum - 1:2 chance to receive a unique version
5/ Reveal all NFTs by ID Shift based on the Smart Contract after #30 is sold
6/ Q3 - Create 5 individual tool NFTs to free the art piece from its glass cabinet.
7/ Q4 - Sale of the 5 NFT tools. Only available for "I´ve never been to..." NFT holders
Upgrade any version by big surprise.
Upgrade any version by big surprise.
8/ Move into metaspace - be part of things to come
A collection of 30 NFTs based on Philip Topolovac's “I’ve never been to Berghain”.
A full-scale cork model of the world-famous Berlin club executed in various sizes, cites a modeling technique popular in the Baroque period, thus transforming this place of longing in the present into a relic of future memories.
The limited NFT-series “I´ve never been to…” executed over many long Berlin nights in collaboration with Digital Artist Neopen, transfers Topolovac's artistic craftsmanship into a playful digital dimension, capturing fantasies, clichés and desires around this contemporary place of longing. In unique variations the owner gets a nightlife fantasy in limbo; behind glass, but close to reach.
Stepping into Berlin’s nightlife you never know how that night will end…
Ditto for our randomly sold collection, where 15 NFTs are identical and 15 NFTs contain unique versions of the artwork, giving the minter a 1:2 chance on a unique NFT.
Ditto for our randomly sold collection, where 15 NFTs are identical and 15 NFTs contain unique versions of the artwork, giving the minter a 1:2 chance on a unique NFT.
In a further drop end of summer, the 5 holders only will be able to receive a unique tools to smash the glass in a heist move kind of style and receive an exclusive version of the original model as a bonus.
