Marie Staggat & Timo Stein Hush - Berlin Club Culture In A Time Of Silence

They are synonymous with dancing, sweating, intimacy, freedom, and a temporary loss of control – but with the onset of the pandemic, an involuntary silence descended on what were once the city’s loudest locations… During their club quarantine tour, they encountered people who are not only struggling to keep their jobs, but also fear losing the place they call home. They met them in locations that were created for people, but which also leave an impact when completely empty. At first glance, Hush is a book about clubs during the coronavirus crisis; at second glance, it’s also a book about what home can be. Staggat and Stein met enterprising, despondent, but also resilient individuals who willingly provided a glimpse not only into their personal situations, but also into their spaces. They descended into old breweries, entered power plants, locations under S-Bahn arches, parking garages, single-family homes, signal towers, backyards, cellar vaults, boats and carriage houses. Lost places with a history. Spaces created primarily in the eastern part of Berlin after the fall of the Berlin Wall – during a time when party pioneers were transforming derelict industrial landscapes into venues for creativity and freedom. The proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to support the clubs in Berlin that were involved in the project.