German photographer and musician Wolfgang Tillmans knows what a long night can offer. Rising to prominence as the chief artist documenting London’s youth-led counter culture in the ’90s, Tillmans has an uncanny ability to capture the sight and sounds of an evening in the city. It makes sense then that his foray into music would veer towards late night abandon.
To celebrate his second full-length album, Build From Here, the artist-turned-musician hosted a launch party at his Berlin project space, Between Bridges. There was a 20-foot projection of the album’s video-incarnation on loop in the gallery space, a high fidelity listening lounge in the garden room, and beer and refreshments for smiling attendees basking in the early jolt of spring.
“I wanted to preserve my energy for the opening of my solo exhibition at Galerie Buchholz the next evening, but in the end was overwhelmed by the energy of friends celebrating the album,” Tillmans said. Though the evening was set to end at 11 PM, the party churned on until the early morning with names like Roman Flügel, Sami Baha and Casey Spooner stopping through.
Tillmans’s lucky guests are not the only ones who can enjoy Build From Here. Yet another artistic foray for the wide-ranging artist, this diverse collection of 14 songs spans sounds and style, but is driven by a propulsive electronic rhythm and Tillman’s gentle, often gravelly singing voice. A rarely vulnerable sonic offering by one of our greatest living artists, Tillmans has shown us clearly that creativity need not be confined to one medium.
Photography: Vincent Wechselberger
