Fertig by Philipp Pusch

Can you tell us a little about your “Fertig” series?

My series “fertig” shows people leaving a famous techno club in Berlin. These people are either finished with the party, or they are out to take a break or get some fresh air. Perhaps they stayed for 6, 10 or 14 hours.

I was waiting in front of the club on Sunday and Monday mornings with my medium format camera to document this generation on film; People who leave their daily lives behind to have a temporary time.

What is it about Berghain that made you want to create a series of photographers of techno lovers?

When I moved to Berlin, I went there quite a lot, met a lot of people, and made good friends.

This club was always a big inspiration to me. Since the first times I went there, I knew I wanted to create an artwork about it. As everyone knows, it is not allowed to take pictures in there so I thought about how to put this special time for myself in a photo series. This series creates a documentary – a portrait of people of this special party generation in Berlin.

What attracts you to be a photographer?

My whole life I was interested in creating things. From building tree houses in my childhood, earning money by drawing portraits when I was around 16, to working on paintings or doing graffiti. The only thing that lasted for all these years was my passion of photography. For me, it is the perfect medium where I can explore my thoughts and ideas in different ways. I never stop to learn new things and always try to develop something new. Because I’ve been drawing my whole life, I have always been into graphics and composition, which is a big part of my work.

I love to photograph – I am addicted. It’s like a virus keeping me alive.

Is portraiture your thing?

My life is about seeing the new; going out and meeting someone. I get my energy from people and places I see. When I work with people, it is great to get to know their personalities and learn more about myself and life in general. I love to make the person I’m photographing feel comfortable for them to open themselves up for my picture. It is an adventure to sit in front of someone, noticing that this person is only with you for this moment. That moment is like magic to me.