MEET: HACHULLA by Hazel Rycraft

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To know the works of Andreas Hachulla is to know Berlin. Captured on his smartphone as he navigates his way through the dark, otherworldly interior landscape of the city’s infamous clubs, his digital drawings transport you to a  moment where you almost feel the energy of the music and people around you.  What makes Hachulla’s  work so unique is the speed in which his sketches are created, bringing them to life as they happen in real time. In doing so, his drawings reflect the true essence of Berlin nightlife in a way that has not been seen before.

了解 Andreas Hachulla 的作品就是了解柏林。被智能手机捕捉到,当他在城市臭名昭著的俱乐部的黑暗、超凡脱俗的室内景观中导航时,他的数字绘画将您带入一个几乎可以感受到音乐和周围人的能量的时刻。Hachulla 的作品之所以如此独特,是因为他的素描创作速度非常快,让它们在实时发生时栩栩如生。在这样做的过程中,他的绘画以前所未有的方式反映了柏林夜生活的真正本质。

You began your working life in the world of architecture – a stark contrast from the work  you now create depicting scenes of Berlin nightlife. Tell us about your journey and what inspired you to start creating these images. How has architecture influenced your work today?

The decision to study architecture was a perfect combination of all kinds of scientific, technical and artistic fields that already interested me in school. I started working in architecture in 2007 after finishing my university degree. I grew up among artists and therefore got in touch with art at an early age. The different disciplines of architecture allowed me somehow to demarcate from the exclusive existence as an artist by developing an individual style simultaneously. To separate from their way of life in a way, but to approach again in the end. So architecture has a major influence on my work today.

您在建筑界开始了您的职业生涯——这与您现在创作的描绘柏林夜生活场景的作品形成鲜明对比。告诉我们您的旅程,以及是什么激发了您开始创作这些图像。建筑是如何影响你今天的工作的?

学习建筑的决定是我在学校已经感兴趣的各种科学、技术和艺术领域的完美结合。我在完成大学学位后于 2007 年开始从事建筑工作。我在艺术家中长大,因此从小接触艺术。建筑的不同学科让我以某种方式通过同时发展个人风格来区分作为艺术家的排他性存在。以某种方式与他们的生活方式分开,但最终再次接近。所以建筑对我今天的工作产生了重大影响。

We’d love to know the story behind your sketches and how you know when to capture a moment or scene whilst in Berlin clubs. When on the dancefloor, what prompts you to take out your phone and begin to draw?

It began as a need to capture majestic scenery while respecting the no photo policy in December 2015 during the birthday Klubnacht at Halle am Berghain.  The spectacular surroundings made such a strong impression that somehow the requirement or sheer lust to translate this moment occurred.

我们很想知道您的素描背后的故事,以及您如何知道在柏林俱乐部中何时捕捉某个时刻或场景。在舞池里,是什么促使你拿出手机开始画画?

2015 年 12 月,在 Halle am Berghain 的 Klubnacht 生日期间,它开始需要在遵守禁止拍照政策的同时捕捉壮丽的风景。壮观的环境给(给我)留下了如此深刻的印象,以至于催生了翻译这一刻的需求或纯粹的欲望。

从那时起,在夜行中总会有鼓舞人心的时刻,例如在酒吧等酒或在不那么适合跳舞的声音中休息时。基于 19 世纪的 plein air 绘画,也可以在技术飞速发展的背景下看到,今天的技术创新通过模拟传统技术使这种做法在当代得以延续。本着数字印象主义的精神,智能手机变成了一个移动画布和速写板,可以用来临时速写和绘制,将所见和经历的东西保持或诠释。免费的绘图程序模拟各种图形和绘画技巧,而我自己的感官、技能和紧凑格式的限制可以看作是我自我表达的核心。

Clubs here are renowned for  their “no photos on the dancefloor” policy. By creating sketches based on what you see, what story do you hope to share with people? Is this your way of giving others a glimpse of life behind the heavily secured doors of a Berlin club?

First of all it is a try to save a moment by honoring this cultural contribution based on a composition of individuals, gathered in special spaces, places, historical structures around music and fashion. It is not about displaying secured interiors or revealing the debauchery, but more about sharing a personal fascination for these unique spaces that are not taken for granted. It  can also be seen as a bow of respect for those vulnerable ecosystems of individuality for which the spaces are shrinking worldwide. The freedom that especially the people of Berlin have the privilege to face, is far away from the reality people from many other parts of the world experience in their home-countries, from profane closing hours to simple respect of human lives and their varying ways of living and thinking.

这里的俱乐部以“舞池禁止拍照”政策而闻名。通过根据您所看到的创建草图,您希望与人们分享什么故事?这是你让别人瞥见柏林俱乐部严密安全门后生活的方式吗?

首先,这是一种通过纪念这种基于个体组合的文化贡献来保存某一时刻的尝试,这些个体组合聚集在围绕音乐和时尚的特殊空间、地点、历史结构中。这不是为了展示被包围的内部空间或揭示放荡,而是更多地分享对这些独特空间的个人崇尚,因为这些空间并不被视为理所当然。这也可以被视为对那些脆弱的个体生态系统的尊重,这些生态系统的空间正在全球范围内缩小。尤其是柏林人民有幸面对的自由,与世界许多其他地方的人们在其国界内所经历的现实相去甚远,从异教的关闭时间到对人类生命的基本的尊重以及人们不同的生活和思考方式。

Tell us about the practicalities of drawing in this environment. How long does a sketch take  to do, and what is the reaction from those around you when you pull out your phone to draw? Have you ever faced any questions or looks of curiosity?

These are mostly fast sketches, drawings and paintings, depending on the software and decision of colored or black and white. It is mostly a range between 5 to 15 minutes, some of the more detailed ones take longer. I have been confronted with questions very often of what am I doing there and met lots of interesting people from all over the place through the following conversations.

告诉我们在这种环境下绘画的实用性。素描需要多长时间,当你拿出手机画画时,周围人的反应是什么?你有没有遇到过任何问题或好奇的表情?

这些大多是速写、素描和绘画,取决于软件和彩色或黑白的决定。它主要是在 5 到 15 分钟之间的范围内,一些更详细的需要更长的时间。我经常遇到关于我在那里做什么的问题,并通过这些对话结识了来自各地的许多有趣的人。

Your digital drawings are incredibly atmospheric, often transporting us to a particular moment or scene, leading  us to wonder more about the people  and their story. Are they aware that you are sketching them, and do you ever strike up a conversation to learn more about their story?

Some of the people are aware, some are asking me to draw them, and some use them afterwards as they got to know my work. When I am fascinated by a specific style of a person for instance, I do approach them either before or afterwards. Furthermore, I like the backs of people, which makes it easier to keep anonymity. Ultimately, it always remains an abstracting, subjective translation.

您的数字绘画有着令人难以置信的氛围感,经常将我们带到特定的时刻或场景,让我们对这些人和他们的故事产生更多的好奇。他们是否知道您正在为他们画草图,您是否曾经进行过对话以了解更多关于他们的故事?

有些人知道,有些人要求我画它们,有些人在了解我的作品后使用它们。例如,当我对一个人的特定风格着迷时,我会在之前或之后接近他们。此外,我喜欢人们的背影,这样更容易保持匿名。归根结底,它始终是一种抽象的、主观的翻译。

Your work is unique in being created entirely on your phone. What inspired you to begin using solely your phone as an artistic tool and how has this evolved? Is there a particular program you use?

I was interested in digital drawing before and started drawing on a tablet, which I used as a phone as well. I was inspired by the huge phone in the early 2000s TV series Trigger Happy TV; after this particular phase, lots of people were walking around with huge tablets taking photos and using them for everyday activity. After this one broke, I needed one that would fit in my pocket again but it had to have the integrated pen. At first it was pretty unfamiliar to draw on such a tiny screen, but it took me just a few tries to get used to it. There are different free drawing apps & software, like SNote or SketchbookApp.

您的作品完全是在您的手机上创作的。是什么激发了您开始仅将手机用作艺术工具,这是如何演变的?您使用了特定的程序吗?

我之前对数字绘图很感兴趣,并开始在平板电脑上绘图,我也将它用作手机。我受到了 2000 年代早期电视剧《触发快乐电视》中的巨大手机的启发;在这个特定阶段之后,许多人带着巨大的平板电脑四处走动,拍照并将它们用于日常活动。在这支坏了之后,我需要一支可以再次放入口袋的,但它必须有集成笔。起初在这么小的屏幕上画画是很陌生的,但我只是尝试了几次就习惯了。有不同的免费绘图应用程序和软件,如 SNote 或 SketchbookApp。

How has living in Berlin influenced your work, and has your style changed since living here? 

Since Berlin is probably one of the most intense places when it comes to nightlife and freedom, it has had a major influence and this specific style was created here.

生活在柏林对你的工作有何影响?自从住在这里后,你的风格发生了怎样的变化?

因为对于夜生活和自由来说,柏林是最强烈的地方之一,它有着了重要的影响,并且这种特殊的风格就是在这里创造的.

We’re also curious to learn more about the nightlife scenes you have drawn from other cities such as Kiev; how did the crowd and atmosphere differ?

In the case of Kiev, a group of Berliners were traveling to the ground floor opening in November 2019 of the club also known as K41 / that was designed by Berghain architects Studio Karhard. Visiting this place and meeting people that we all could relate to makes it even more sad to see the current news. The crowd over there did not really differ; I would rather say it was quite equal to what we know here and maybe partly even more exaggerated. There was a fresh spirit of optimism in the air exploring undeveloped areas with intense diversity.

There are also other places in New York City, London, Paris, Antwerpen, Hamburg or my hometown Leipzig. In the US, I have not really seen such a strict door policy, which creates a much different crowd and atmosphere. You can however find a blooming underground scene for those who are in contact with locals, too. Of course you can feel differences in other cities and countries, but also a kind of international adjustment whether in style, interior or equipment. Most of them I experienced were less rough compared to Berlin. Some of those locations no longer exist, which brings in an additional, sort of documentary level that underlines the ephemeral  beauty.

我们也很想了解更多关于您从基辅等其他城市汲取的夜生活场景;人群和气氛有何不同?

就基辅而言,一群柏林人当时前往俱乐部的一楼开幕,该俱乐部也被称为 K41 /∄,由 Berghain的 建筑师工作室 Karhard 设计。参观这个地方并结识我们都可能与之相关的人,让看到当前的新闻更加难过。那边的人群并没有什么不同。我宁愿说它与我们在这里所知道的完全一样,也许在某种程度上甚至更加夸张。空气中弥漫着一种新鲜的乐观精神,探索具有强烈多样性的未开发地区。

纽约市、伦敦、巴黎、安特卫普、汉堡或我的家乡莱比锡也有其他地方。在美国,我还没有真正看到过如此严格的门禁政策,从而营造出截然不同的人群和氛围。然而,您也可以为那些与当地人接触的人找到一个盛开的地下景观。当然你可以感受到其他城市和国家的不同,但无论是风格、内饰还是设备,都是一种国际化的调整。与柏林相比,我所经历的大多数都没有那么粗糙。其中一些地点不再存在,这带来了一种额外的纪录片层次,强调了短暂的美丽。

You’re pretty active on social 

media and seem adaptable to 

different ways of showcasing your work (e.g., Instagram and TikTok). Do you enjoy using different platforms to connect with your audience, and have you faced any challenges along the way?

I actually started my IG account as a sort of online portfolio; it has become quite common for artists in general  being present online. I realized that lately, even elderly artists use social media platforms to promote their work or at least pay others to do it for them.

您在社交媒体上非常活跃,并且似乎能够适应展示您作品的不同方式(例如 

Instagram 和 TikTok)。您是否喜欢使用不同的平台与您的观众建立联系,并且您在此过程中遇到过任何挑战吗?

实际上,我创建 IG 账户是将其当作为一种线上作品集;艺术家们的基本的线上存在已经变得相当普遍。我最近意识到,即使是年长的艺术家也使用社交媒体平台来宣传他们的作品,或者至少花钱请别人为他们做。

We would love to know more about what you are working on currently and what  projects we can look forward to from you in the future. Are you able to share any details with us?

Last year I was teaching a group of ten students at the university of Greifswald. We called the course „Post Plein Air“ and it is exhibited right now on an advertising pillar. It is supposed to officially open in April, but can be seen on site already. 

I also work on artworks for musicians, making music myself and will continue doing graphic design collaborations besides my often quite exhausting day job. As well as this, I will continue exploring digital and analogue art and keep a curious eye on my environment.

我们很想更多地了解您目前正在从事的工作以及我们将来可以期待您的哪些项目。您能和我们分享任何细节吗?

去年,我在格赖夫斯瓦尔德大学教十名学生。我们将这门课程称为“Post Plein Air”,现在它在广告柱上展出。它应该在四月正式开放,但已经可以在现场看到。

我还为音乐家创作艺术品,自己制作音乐,除了我经常很累的日常工作之外,还将继续进行平面设计合作。除此之外,我将继续探索数字和模拟艺术,并对我的环境保持好奇。

Interview 作者: Hazel Rycraft

Art : Andreas Hachulla