A spatial gallery: the visual dimension of the club

From the disco-fueled Studio 54, to the acid-led Ufo of the past, to venues such as Berghain and De School today, club spaces have been progressively reinvented and reimagined through the vision of a diverse set of creatives. 

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Multidisciplinary artist Boris Acket, who explores the duration and passing of time through his ‘TIJDSDUUR’ exhibition at De School for the full month of October, recalls where the allure of these types of spaces comes from: ‘I have a deep-rooted fascination for the design of club spaces: they were my first ever galleries, and my introduction to audiovisual experiences.’ This primal source of inspiration from club spaces seems to be apparent for more audiovisual artists. Visual artist orah, who will be presenting the installation work ‘Terugblik’ in collaboration with DJ and producer Shoal, reflects on the role of visual stimuli in club spaces. She mentions how although the music is the main attractor and motivator, ‘nightlife spaces wouldn’t be as immersive if the lights, scenography, and architecture aren’t thought through as well’. 

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DJ and producer Spekki Webu recalls that audiences have been seeking ways to let their mind wander off since the start of the clubbing era. ‘Adding a visual layer definitely helps to achieve certain states of mind.’ A general consensus among these artists is that there is a broad array of dimensions and layers to be unfolded when merging disciplines in club spaces. Spekki Webu, who is presenting works in collaboration with Acket and visual artist Matti Vilho points out that if executed right, visual art ‘adds a different dimension to club culture and creates a more open-minded way of experiencing electronic music. It suggests and initiates dancers to think more out of the box’.

Acket, who has presented a variety of works in club contexts throughout the last decade, reflects on the interplay between different mediums that create bursting dynamics impacting visitors: ‘It is even a space where the visitor changes into being a temporary performer, dancing and flowing towards others while only being present.’ Rotterdam-based social choreographer Connor Schumacher explores the essence of these dynamics when he says: ‘If experience, memory, ideas, and values are stored inside the body, then inside the rave space, you are shaking all of your shit up.’ 

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There is an additional layer of depth to the idea of the audience becoming a substantial part of artworks instead of just being a spectator. Increasingly, (audio)visual artists develop projects aimed at being immersive and overwhelming. However, to have an audience that is vulnerable enough to genuinely engage with a more subtle piece of work can be quite a barrier to break. This dynamic can be more easily attainable in a club space, where spontaneity runs in its core and visitors feel more compelled to take risks. It’s the ideal environment to explore the tension between static and kinetic exhibitions and even question the everyday exhibition spaces.

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The club as enhanced exhibition space

So besides adding another dimension for the visitor, inviting different art forms in clubs can potentially serve as a means to overcome further ongoing issues in the ‘more traditional’ art spaces. In an article exploring clubbing as an antidote to the contemporary art institution, art critic and curator Benoit Lamy de la Chapelle points out the exclusive and ‘old-boy network’ dynamics observable in the latter. ‘They are seen as divorced from the general public and struggling to put forward their “common good” role, unwilling to impose it by force. ’Clubbing and rave culture in its anti-institutional nature, can serve as the perfect grounds to cultivate a more horizontal art-making practice’. 

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Clubs can then become a genuine space to experiment with art, without the barriers that more traditional art spaces present. Acket reflects on that: ‘I think people are much more open in a nightlife or festival environment than in a museum environment.’ Although he likes the dynamic of both, he acknowledges that clubs and nightlife are ‘a breeding place for new artists emerging for this very reason; you can really experiment freely without being “judged” immediately’. 

However, in conversation with Anne van der Weijden, art curator of De School, we came across some of the challenges associated with the practice of curating art within club spaces. ‘What doesn’t work is subtle gestures, fragile setups, works that require a lot of text and explanation.’ She also points out how clubbers mainly come for the music, with art being a nice extra. ‘As an art programmer you sort of have to seduce the visitor to also interact with or react to the art.’ In the case of De School, architecture becomes a key player.

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The building is of a mysterious nature. The former technical school, built by the Dutch architect Ingwersen in 1973, consists of a web of hallways connecting a large number of rooms on ground level and a basement. The building has brutalist influences, but doesn’t come across as an imposing building due to the many windows, use of colours, and cosy garden. Van der Weijden: ‘Luckily, due to all the windows in De School, it is quite easy to intrigue the visitors when walking through our hallway. The architecture of the building makes it more visible and accessible.’ She continues: ‘When executed successfully, art, music, and architecture enhance the experience of the location.’

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Acket explains the richness of cultivating art in these spaces as ‘something without a defined ruleset’. He continues: ‘Within such an environment, creativity thrives and new ideas can be conceived.’ Van der Weijden elaborates on the many possibilities of a space such as De School. ‘Big installations, interactive installations, moving objects, the combination of sound and lights; it works.’ She also explains how the goal of both music and other art forms is in essence the same. ‘Both music and other forms of art can help with the feeling of escape, letting go, relaxation, and/or lead to the feeling of wonderment and inspiration.’ 

Exploring new ideas through collaboration 

This feeling of wonderment and inspiration is something all artists that we speak with try to achieve with their works. They embrace the club space to introduce profound ideas to the audience. There is a thought-provoking level of speculation in their works, which is often the result of a collaboration between artists and thinkers from different professional backgrounds. In these sorts of projects, disciplines do not come together to overcomplicate an idea or experience. On the contrary, artistic disciplines merge into one art piece, creating sensations that are inexplicable. 

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This is in the end what art is meant for; providing an experimental exercise capable of transforming individuals through sensory experience. Alice O'Grady, a specialist in performance studies, even argued that art in rave contexts can serve as a ‘potential route towards creativity and social critique that can be individually experienced and collectively expressed, lending it a potency that extends beyond the physical time and space of the party’.

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Shoal explains how ‘collaboration teaches us new perspectives, it opens new pathways’. ‘Terugblik’, for example, serves as a ‘collection of different memories and experiences, put together into a new form; like a dream that is reconstructed’, clarifies orah. Through this work, they explore the directions where visual and sonic textures might lead to. Shoal explains: ‘Deborah’s work is rich with different layers and textures. She manages to create a continuous flow of seamlessly changing visual patterns, shapes, and gestures. This phenomenon is also what triggers me the most when I create sounds, especially ambient and experimental music.’ 

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Acket also reflects on collaborative practices while pointing out how ‘the conversations around the creations of these works are also very worthwhile. These are philosophical get-togethers that really make you look or listen differently to the world’. It seems like a key to achieving truly insightful and riveting artworks which will captivate clubbers’ minds is not only the exchange between the artistic disciplines themselves, but also between the perspectives and ideas of the makers behind the work. Matti adds up to this conclusion in his own words: ‘Collaboration is akin to unlocking a vast expanse within my mind.’ He mentions how it feels to have a trusted collaborator by his side. ‘This mutual trust allows me to relinquish the burden of comprehending every detail, freeing up my mental energy to delve deeper into the aspects where my strengths truly shine.’

Spekki Webu’s ongoing practice, as well as the works being presented at De School, are a strong example of how multidisciplinary collaboration and research can even touch upon enigmatic topics.‘Our installation will be a shortened version of our live show called ‘Signal Transmutations’, which is a story about the different stages of reincarnation.’ He explains how this has been a recurrent topic intriguing him for most of his life. Dealing with mysterious topics and attempting to shed light on them through club-specific performances can be challenging. Spekki Webu explains how collaboration with artists from other disciplines can help to facilitate that. ‘The remarkable thing when working with other people, especially in a visual context, is getting the opportunity to dive into somebody’s mind and see their ideas about the concept.’ 

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One of the five works Acket is presenting within his ‘TIJDSDUUR’ exhibition, ‘Durée’, an installation working with a two-entry point echo system, is built around the concept of time and ‘poetically translates a theory of philosopher Henri Bergson, a French philosopher who states that our ‘now’ is constructed with an endless influx of past memories, recent moments, near-future expectations, and far future dreams. The two entry points of sound and light create a moment in the middle of the space and different moments for everyone present in the space - depending on where you stand’. This system, which according to him, resembles the workings of a clock, leads to results that are much like the human experience of time: ‘full of distortions, vibrations and subjectiveness’. 

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With topics ranging from the exploration of time, space, life, death, memories, and dreams, it seems like all of these artists have taken upon a spunky mission of sparking clubbers’ minds. On the other hand, there is plenty of space for people’s imagination to drift off and craft their own unique interpretations of the work they experience. orah explains this fine line between familiarity and abstractness within her work: ‘create images that are not fully abstract, that depict something that can still be recognisable but leaves space to the imagination to create its own meaning out of it’. She crafts layers in which ‘you can dive as deep as you want to’. 

Persevering the underground spirit through art

So, getting back to the club space, how come it seems that both artists and visitors thrive within this environment on emotional, physical, and even spiritual levels? It’s probably a blend of all tangible and intangible elements. Artists are able to experiment within these spaces, crafting particular inner worlds. It’s this unrestricted collision of different artistic disciplines within a social vacuum away from day-to-day life that has the ability to open us humans up and create meaningful experiences.

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Acket reflects on how people are intrinsically looking for connection and for a space where they can be together without social boundaries in place. ‘In a way, I think multidisciplinary art can also do this: take away social boundaries.' The attempt to reach horizontal interactions in club spaces can often be a counterintuitive dynamic to the society outside of those club walls. ‘In this world where communal experiences are almost not present anymore in society, I think it is important to use these spaces for meaningful experiments and to confront people with themes and stories that are not only about clubbing and dance music.’

Matti mentions how he believes that people ‘are inherently seeking havens where they can liberate themselves and encounter the unfamiliar within a nonjudgmental sphere’. Matti intricately explores the ‘escapist’ nature of a club space. ‘It's within these spaces that people let go, shedding the constraints of their ordinary existence.’ Embracing art into these spaces presents an ideal opportunity to engage audiences already receptive to new experiences. Matti describes how ‘attendees of such events typically radiate an infectious enthusiasm for the unconventional, making club culture a fertile ground for pushing artistic boundaries and fostering innovative encounters’. Van der Weijden elaborates on this synergy within the club space: ‘People come to a club to experience all kinds of emotions that they don’t experience during their day-to-day life. Art can contribute to this feeling.’

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When reflecting on these experimental club spaces, Matti continues to conclude: ‘It's a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the underground spirit’. Acket agrees and adds gently: ‘Visitors will have their own small and big moments of contemplation, and will hopefully share these experiences with each other, finding out something new about themselves, about time, about a lover. When they enter the ‘normal’ world again they might look at the world a bit differently than when they entered.’ 

On that note, Minimal Collective invites you to join the ‘Post-Hypnotism’ event at De School during Amsterdam Dance Event on October 19th. Traversing across sit-down sessions, art installations, and dance floors spread across multiple spaces of the building, the event challenges you to confront both club and non-club settings alike. Get your tickets here now and become part of the communal exploration.

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Thanks to Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (AFK) for supporting our event and research.