Berlin is different! And so is artist collective KLUB7! The six creatives are known to all work on an artwork at the same time. What sounds like a chaotic jumble of ideas is actually the recipe for success of the urban artists from Berlin and Halle.
The graphic artworks by the group of friends have a high recognition value. And in their work for public spaces in particular, they really think big - as can be seen in our Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz, too.
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10 questions for... KLUB7
Why do you call yourselves KLUB7 when there are six of you?
The number seven is a relic from when the group was first established 20 years ago, when there were still seven of us. Over the years, members have left and new ones have joined. The fact that we spell ‘Klub’ with a K is a reference to our past in the GDR. These days, we refer to the cumulative style of our six members as the seventh member.
What are the benefits of creating art as part of a group?
Each one of us contributes our own characteristics, ideas and quirks. This results in joint perspectives that wouldn’t be possible if we were working individually. An initial vision is shared with all the other members, snowballs from there and culminates in an artwork based on the skills and perspectives of six artists.
Can you explain the procedure to us?
We have built up a sense of trust in the way we work that leads us into a workflow; this happens intuitively and without the need for much verbal communication. One of us sets the ball rolling and that sparks an idea in someone else, which in turn may inspire another one of us.
What is it that defines the personal style of KLUB7?
We pool together our own individual thematic, technical and aesthetic preferences – and by immersing ourselves in these, we shape the style of the group as a whole.
How timeless is the work you produce?
It’s hard to say whether our artworks are timeless or not. But we always try to stay close to ourselves, our visions and current events. So that makes them authentic and, from our point of view, contemporary.
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Each one of us contributes our own characteristics, ideas and quirks. This results in joint perspectives that wouldn’t be possible if we were working individually.
KLUB7
What are your favourite materials to work with?
In addition to acrylic, spray paint and marker pens, sidewalk chalk is another of our favourites. We love its fleeting nature and the carefree feeling of childhood that it evokes.
Graffiti, street art, urban art: where do the roots of your creative output lie?
In the graffiti and urban art scene of the 90s and 2000s. That’s what gave us a sense of public spaces, façades and surfaces. Our spontaneous way of working is also a result of the urban conditions, as we don’t have much time to think when we’re out on the streets. All these circumstances are responsible for our preference for unique, vibrant places.
What influence does Berlin have on KLUB7’s work?
Art and culture, craziness, free spirit, normality, everyday life, visions and creativity: all of this comes together in Berlin and we can’t help but be swept along by it.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Different experiences can provide each of us with different inspiration. Such as, for example, used materials, discarded items, references from films and music and fragments of memories from our childhoods and everyday lives.
What was so special about your cooperation with Motel One?
The wall situations were really exciting, and also the special methods we used. For the corner wall in the courtyard, we applied techniques that we rarely use otherwise: such as brooms as oversized brushes or oversized airbrush systems for colour gradients over several floors of the building.
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