Area Revisited

“AREA REVISITED”, curated by Nina Venus in 2015, was a Satellite Show and official contribution to the 6th edition of the Triennial of Photography in Hamburg, produced by Deichtorhallen Hamburg with Krzysztof Candrowicz as artistic director.

The exhibition was installed in the Oberhafenquartier in a 700sqm warehouse, incorporating the raw and industrial structure as conceptual framework to the immersive experience of the show. Large banners hung from the 10m ceilings, a series of 28 large scale portraits entitled “LGBT”, and a large video installation loop of 500 images from the vast archive of Hinz’ AREA material were presented for the first time.

For a short period of time (1983–1987) an old warehouse in Lower Manhattan was transformed into a legendary New York Nightclub, called AREA. It was a place that challenged the boundaries between art, installation, music, fashion, gender and performance and created a new art form: Nightclubbing. AREA was a fantastic cosmos, a realm for artistic experiments and social transgressions, a place that mirrored the Zeitgeist of the 80’s, ahead of its time. The social establishment mixed and mingled with artists of all trades, the culture curious from the suburbs and the party people.

Artists of the time such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, Chuck Close, Grace Jones, Robert Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring, David LaChapelle, Laurie Anderson and Madonna, to name a few, were regulars, creating an exceptional, experimental atmosphere. Volker Hinz was there with his camera and in the midst of it all, portraying the place, the people and a bygone era.

As a tip on the hat towards the original AREA, Nina Venus founded “AREA HAMBURG” in collaboration with Cindy Hennes and Juana Sacristan to be a transgressive platform for the Arts.

For the opening night of the 6.Triennale of Photography, which was also the opening night of AREA HAMBURG, a long table was installed in the midst of the exhibition, inviting 100 selected guests to a festive gala dinner.

Later in the evening the dance floor opened for the performing artists who mingled with the public. An exceptional DJ set by Björn Beton, member of the renown German hip-hop band “Fettes Brot” inspired a party that lasted all night: “AREA REVISITED”.