Haus der Kunst

Established in 1950 as a “studio restaurant” and venue for the Munich art scene in the east wing of Haus der Kunst, P1 has developed into one of the most desirable locations in the club landscape in Germany since the mid-1980s. Whitney Houston's first concert in front of a European audience, a party for Tina Turner where counterfeit D-Mark notes rained from the ceiling, footballers in love, scandals, and spectacular celebrations – there are countless stories about P1. On the occasion of its 40th anniversary – the restaurant was opened in its current form in 1984 – Haus der Kunst now dedicates an exhibition to the club as part of the “Archives in Residence” exhibition series.

P1 is one of the few clubs, if not the only nightspot, that lives next door to an art exhibition house. Not unlike Haus der Kunst, P1 continually reinvents itself. To this day, it is an essential part of international club culture and a popular destination for different generations of night owls.

Clubs are spaces for artistic expression and experimentation, places for participation and identity formation, venues for encounters and desire. Sound and lighting, dance floor, and lounging area create open spaces in which guests are transported from the real world of everyday life into their own reality of an endless night.

The exhibition in the Archiv Galerie of Haus der Kunst, which was developed on the basis of archive material, also opens up such a world to visitors. The design of the room is, on the one hand, a reminiscence of the initial location. On the other hand, the room elements are based on the minimalist design of the Milanese designer Matteo Thun, who designed the club in the 2000s.

The idea of participation continues – retrospectively – in the exhibition. Haus der Kunst invites visitors to share their personal P1 stories and memorabilia and thus expand the exhibition digitally. As part of the exhibition, a magazine about P1 and its history and stories will be published.

Curated by Sabine Brantl and Lydia Antoniou.