Photographic Berlin present Le bal infernal 2008 – 2024an exhibition of Benita Suchodrev.
She presents it like this:
In the labyrinth of Berlin club culture, labels and boundaries disappear. For over 30 years, this city has been a haven for those seeking freedom and reinvention. The club scene is more than just an escape; it’s a gateway to a new reality where you can define yourself on your terms.
When Benita Suchodrev moved to Berlin in 2008, she was immediately drawn to the city’s vibrant nightlife and rich variety of social groups. It was here that she began documenting the unique energy of the city’s nightlife through her lens.
“My life in Berlin is inseparable from this work. I discovered the city by taking these photographs »explains Suchodrev. His long-term study has evolved over time, capturing the essence of a city that never sleeps.
On October 10, 2024, the exhibition Le bal infernal opened at Fotografiska Berlin, including works from Suchodrev’s archive, as well as new works presented for the first time.
Suchodrev shoots intuitively, often capturing moments from the hip to avoid altering the natural flow of events by pointing his camera too deliberately. “To really enjoy a party, I need my camera. I get excited when I photograph people who are authentic and having a good time”she explains. For Suchodrev, every subject has a story and his photos reflect the narratives hidden behind every expression or fleeting glance. Each shot offers the possibility of imagining the untold stories hidden behind the faces.
“As in a dream, there is a certain madness and a certain magic in it all: the neurotic flickering of neon lights, the dissolution of the self in a trance to a sinister rhythm or the enactment of happiness with a stranger on a sofa seedy in a smoky room. Beneath the facade of celebration, these moments speak to a deeper part of the human condition: the incessant desire to feel free physically and spiritually. » – Benita Suchodrev
Berlin’s nightlife, with its ever-changing club culture, reflects the city’s constant transformation. It thrives in the spaces in between, places that offer freedom by escaping the established order outside their walls. Whether it’s the choice to hide behind a mask or abandon all pretense, to break social barriers or embrace hedonism, Suchodrev’s long-term study The Infernal Ball captures the moments fleeting and unique characters that define the soul of Berlin.
Benita Suchodrev was born in the former USSR and immigrated to the United States where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a specialization in art history, before continuing her studies with a master of arts in English literature and graduate with great distinction. Suchodrev moved to Berlin in 2008 and began extensive documentation of the cosmopolitan city’s multifaceted art scene while working on various photographic projects. She became known thanks to the series 48 Hours Blackpool, a sociocultural study rich in authenticity and poetry, set in the eponymous coastal town.
His photographs have been published in books Of Lions and Lambs (Kehrer 2019), 48 Hours Blackpool (Kehrer 2018), Nightlife Berlin: 1974 to today (Metrolit 2013) and Berlin Now (teNeues 2009). His award-winning portrait and documentary works have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally and are held in stately and private collections. Suchodrev is also a member of the FOCUS photography agency. She lives and works in Berlin.
Benita Suchodrev : Le bal infernal 2008 – 2024
October 11, 2024 – January 26, 2025
Photographic Berlin
Oranienburger Str. 54
10117 Berlin, Germany
https://berlin.fotografiska.com/en
www.BenitaSuchodrev.com
https://agentur-focus.com/portfolio/benita-suchodrev
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