1985-1987 EASTSIDE In the Eastside, we lived in a kind of parallel world in squats in Prenzlauer Berg. Our attitude to life was shaped by the Punk and New Wave scene in the Eighties, while in the western part of the city Vivienne Westwood was being shown and Bowie had long since left Berlin. Our desire for freedom was unstoppable.
Sven Marquardt is a renowned German Photographer, bouncer and artist. He has been running the security team at Berghain since its opening in 2004 – making him the most famous doorman in the world. He is best known for his distinct and striking black-and-white portrait photography, capturing the essence of Berlin’s nightlife, subcultures and unique characters.
For ‘In Person’, Marquardt shares his most intimate moments in a photo diary; from 1985 until now.
1986 DOME Dome (Dominique Hollenstein) was my muse in the Eighties. Can you say that? In any case, she was my favourite model.
2004 JAN In the Nineties, I lost sight of the viewfinder because there was always partying, partying, partying. I was a bouncer at a club which at the time was still called Ostgut. When the place closed in 2004, I rediscovered the medium of photography through Jan.
2012 RUDEL During this time, I photographed a few of my colleagues in the security business. By now, of course, it's a whole new crowd and generation.
2015 DOME I got my favourite model Dome back in front of my camera after 30 years. An amazingly beautiful woman, both then and now: two strong moments in one person's life.
2016 LAWBF In 2016, the German actors Volker Sprengler and Fritzi Bauer stood in front of my camera. Both participated in a performance by the artists' collective LAWBF. Although my subjects' fame does not play a role in my pictures, a young Sprengler had appeared in Fassbinder's In a Year of 13 Moons. That film was to accompany me my whole life.
2018 ELLEN Ellen Alien used to DJ regularly on Sunday nights at the old Tresor back in the Nineties - together with Tanith. We were there every Sunday. Their sound had a strong influence on the zeitgeist at that time.
2022 NYC My last important stop was New York in 2022; it's a city that I love and fear at the same time. Influences like Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe shaped me from there and still determine my life today.
As featured in SLEEK 78 – BLISS. Available in print and digital here.