Mischa Fanghaenel has spent over fifteen years as a bouncer at Berghain, Berlin's world-famous techno club, but his latest project NACHTS shifts the focus from the notorious door policy to the people inside. The photography series captures the club's diverse community in intimate black-and-white portraits, offering a rare glimpse into a space typically shielded from public view. Marine Aubenas, a colleague who champions Fanghaenel's work, explains that the project reveals what truly matters at Berghain—not the building's brutalist architecture or its mythical status, but the individuals who give it life each weekend. Through NACHTS, Fanghaenel documents DJs, regulars, and newcomers alike, all photographed with equal dignity and anonymity.
Berghain has achieved near-mythical status in global nightlife culture, with its name alone conjuring fantasies of endless parties and underground techno rituals. Located in a former power plant, the club's fogged-up windows and stark concrete facade have become iconic symbols of Berlin's hedonistic spirit. However, Fanghaenel's work challenges this one-dimensional narrative by showing the human connections that form the club's real foundation. His unique position as both security staff and photographer granted him unprecedented access to a community that values privacy above all else. The project's name, NACHTS—German for "at night"—speaks to the nocturnal world he has documented for more than a decade and a half.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as the unexpected catalyst for this artistic endeavor. When Berghain fell silent during the first lockdown in 2020, Fanghaenel felt an urgent need to preserve the scene he knew and loved. He was troubled by media portrayals that didn't match his experience of the club as a positive, beautiful community. As philosopher Roland Barthes once wrote, photography has something to do with resurrection, and Fanghaenel sought to resurrect the spirit of the club during its darkest hour. However, he moved carefully, taking two years to secure permission from the club's owners and to develop his vision properly.
In early 2022, Fanghaenel posted a simple story on Instagram announcing his search for community members willing to sit for portraits. The response was overwhelming—an avalanche of messages that continued for weeks. This organic recruitment process mirrored the club's philosophy: he doesn't invite anyone, but rather creates a space where people know they are welcome to participate. The challenge remained consistent whether at the door or in the studio: establishing a safe environment where subjects could feel free to be themselves. Fanghaenel has witnessed countless individuals transform over the years—changing identities, aging, starting families, moving away—and his portraits capture this evolution while maintaining each person's dignity.
The visual language of NACHTS is deliberately uniform: identical formats, black-and-white imagery, direct frontal composition, and anonymous presentation. Even famous DJs appear without name tags, placed on equal footing with first-time visitors. This egalitarian approach embodies Berghain's core philosophy, where diverse life paths intersect regardless of profession, age, gender identity, or background. Fanghaenel chose aluminum as his printing medium because it intensifies the blacks and contrasts while eliminating glass barriers between viewer and subject. The material makes each portrait raw and direct, yet constantly shifting throughout the day as light conditions change.
For Fanghaenel, beauty means being at peace with oneself, and his portraits reveal this tranquility in faces that have found acceptance within Berghain's walls. He considers his two seemingly opposite roles—bouncer and photographer—as unified by a single goal: seeing people smile. Some digital artists have even animated his portraits to pulsate with Len Faki's music, extending his vision of interconnected humanity. Looking ahead, Fanghaenel hopes someone will continue the project in five years, documenting how the community evolves. An exhibition of NACHTS is anticipated, though the photographer remains focused on capturing the present moment rather than dwelling on what has been lost.
