SHOOTING LENS

It may seem that the emergence of live moving images, which we call cinema, has gradually put the art of photography to the background. But this is not true. In fact, photography has its own space and rightfully occupied place. It still has firm roots in the art of depicting reality using a photographic lens. Between the lens and the object is an instant distance. A short moment that fits exactly into one click of camera's shutter, which graciously transforms into Art on a photo paper. A shot-like click of the lens, and you get an image of that instantaneous moment imprinted forever! That is what a German photographer Sven Marquardt does: grasps a moment and gives you a character. The object of his attention is a man. More precisely: a man of the metropolis. Thanks to the support of Goetre-Zentrum Baku, an exhibition of his works in Baku under the title Altar was held in the Baku Kappelhaus.

About the photographer

His professional development began in the 80's of last century. Even then, in the underground Bohemian environment of East Berlin, he was a well-known and popular figure. One can clearly observe the rebels of the punk and nu-wave movement in his works from that period.

Punk is translated from English as something bad or lousy. A subculture, which became popular in the early 70's of the last century, the essence of which is a critical attitude towards society. That period is associated with the emergence of music in the style of punk rock. In America, the word "punk" was used as an alternative to dirt, rottenness, waste. Nu-wave is music of the 80's: music in the style of disco and techno. The definition was extended to the fashionable disco youth. This period of girls in lurix and trousers, bananas, with flecks and bright makeup.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Sven Marquardt joins the nightlife of the city. He became a part of the nightlife, part of Berlin’s techno culture. In the spotlight of this culture is the nightclub Berghain, which between 1998 and 2003 worked as a techno club called Ostgut and was known for its gay and sex parties. In 2004, most of the team of this institution opened a new, larger club Berghain, which has gained popularity as a spotlight of musical culture. Currently it is hosting various cultural events, including pop star (Lady Gaga) concerts, monthly meetings of electro-acoustic salon or photo exhibitions of the permanent face-control specialist of this club, Sven Marquardt. According to the music magazine GO, Berghain is the best in Europe.

Interestingly, instead of 19% tax rate usual for this sort of institutions, this club pays only 7%. Paradoxical but true! This percentage is paid in Germany, cultural objects that do not produce material values ​​or do not work on a commercial basis. That is museums and theatres.

The photographer shoots the characters of the nightlife of the metropolis on black and white film. Friends, acquaintances, colleagues: men and women of different ages. He is interested in people as a megapolis phenomenon. With all the ensuing issues and problems. At the exhibition, there are no works that can be considered as "snatched" from life. As a rule of thumb, they are staged. But how exactly the composition of a frame and the state of a character, who was caught into the camera lens, is perceived! It does not matter if it is a man or a woman. Age is not important. Only the state of the character's soul, the expression of his eyes, the look that is directed at the outside world is important. More precisely, total loneliness and alertness. Each of Sven’s characters is a state of intense expectation. No, it is not a miracle. Not love. Not even a holiday. Dangers! Which one? Where is it stemming from? One can only guess. Sartre once said: "The Hell is different!" Having in mind a person, of course. To paraphrase Sartre, we can say that "A bristling, unfriendly world that carries danger is what makes a person". Sven Marquardt, investigating the psychotype of people of the night city, conveys to us information that documented the fact of total separation of people: sexual, mental, moral signs. The culture of the backstreet, stepped onto the stage of night entertainment, "gave" the world a powerful destructive force: foundations, traditions, principles. Rejecting the values ​​produced by previous generations, "daring", "disgruntled" and "rebellious" brought and imposed society their culture. But the culture of the backstreet, greeted so enthusiastically by the youth of the 80s, was so destructive that now the slogan "Man to man is a friend..." causes a crooked grin that is accompanied by caustic comments refuting what was said about it...

Altar

Audio-visual installation is a joint work of a world-known photo artist and a popular European DJ, music producer Marcel Dettmann. Dettmann's music accompanies and balances the emotions and surprise effect of visual series, the changing photos. Together they take visitors to Kappelhaus into the life of Berlin at night.

What is the "altar" in general? A strange, unusual name for an exhibition of works. Because this word has two meanings: the first is a part in the Orthodox Church, separated from the general premises by the iconostasis; the second is the altar. What did the photographer from Berlin mean by giving such a name to his exhibition? If we consider the name in the meaning of the "altar", where the author brings his truth about life, which he observes and explores with the help of the lens for several decades in a row, how to classify it? As a hymn to what we see? What looks at us through his lens? Or is it just fixing the values ​​that have changed over time: without your own assessment, attitude, understanding ... It is hardly possible, given that Sven Marquardt is not only a master of artistic photography, but also a person who has been performing face-control for many years in one of the coolest nightclubs in Europe. So what are the values ​​sacrificed on the altar of his work by Sven Marquardt? This is up to each of us. Proceeding from high moral views, however, the attitude towards the essence of the author's conceptual opinion should be far from a tolerant attitude toward new ideas on old values. But we must recognize the unconditionally high artistic quality of his photos, which are taken at the best level of professionalism. Artistic shots of the photographer's lens fit precisely into the target. And the goal is Time - Man - Life.