I think back to a couple years ago in 2019, when our friends and neighbors at Reference Studios found it their duty to throw a big party for Berlin. It was like an underground festival, filled with artists, musicians, designers, and industry ins and whoever was dressed peculiarly enough to get past a door rivaling Berghain (can you imagine if Berghain was serving free drinks and Fecal Matter was DJing?)
Anyway, that was then. This is now. We have the memories and still a little bit of hope. But now we have a reiteration of that iconic festival, brought back to Berlin in a time when we really desire it most and are going totally stir-crazy, lamenting our wasted youth and closets. Reference Studios is bringing it to us digitally. I am not a fan of the digital. But for this showcase, oh yes I am. I will certainly be in attendance, eagerly so. With a line up of artists and musicians of the likes of our current Culture cover stars Amnesia Scanner and Pan Daijing (in association with Carhartt WIP), a collection of archival Helmut Lang on display, sculptures by Tobias Spichtig in coordination with Balenciaga, a presentation by the artist-model duo Anne Imhof and Eliza Douglas, a video premiere for COLRS by one of our past colleagues Zec Elie-Meiré, and a chat between curator and Serpentine Gallery director Hans Ulrich Obrist and Honey Dijon. Major.
The festival is running the 21-23 of January, broadcast live at both the Zeiss Major Planetarium and from inside the Reference Studios. RSVP here .
(And don’t worry- the door isn’t so difficult this year. You don’t have to leave your robe (but hey, maybe you should.) And if they ask, you’re our +1.)