TreuhandTechno
- artistic research project on the relation between the emergence of techno and the liquidation of East German companies by the Treuhand (Trust)
Revival of the successful production TreuhandTechno Berlin from 2021. November.
“Silence is in the air, for the machines make no noise. (…) I smell the scent of escalation. (…) The walls are blown away and my exponentially beating heart will stop in the bliss of freedom, while my feet continue to dance from position to position, from sequence to sequence. I stagger into escalation, alone, and forever, until the emptiness of this world will be counted out.” (Simon Strick, The Good Machine of G)
Why is the question of the relationship between the Treuhand and Techno in the 1990s more relevant now than ever before? Because: a historicisation of techno culture has emerged in public discourse that does not include the traumatic Treuhand history. Because: the 45 km long Treuhand files are now being released 30 years after they were closed. Because: the Treuhand settlements in East Germany were accompanied by strong distortions, which right-wing demagogues can easily pick up on. Because: techno clubs are currently dying, just like the East German companies did back then. Because: the separation of deindustrialization and youth culture in the Wende era led to a generational conflict in the East that shapes today’s “Emo Trouble East.” Because: it is about time to give this “Emo Trouble” space.