Le Bal Infernal
Benita Suchodrev
2008 – 2024 — Berlin, Germany
About this series
Like a dream, there is a certain madness and magic to it all: the neurotic flicker of neon lights, the dissolution of the self in a trance induced by a sinister beat or acting bliss with a stranger on a shabby couch in a smoke-filled room. In the rush of the night stories unfold beneath the party façade that speak to a deeper part of the human condition: the endless longing to feel physically and spiritually free.
An urban landscape is full of spatial and temporal in-between-spaces – places that offer freedom by escaping the established order outside their walls. For over 30 years, Berlin has been a refuge for those seeking freedom and reinvention. The labyrinth of nightlife and club culture is more than just an escape; it’s a gateway to a new reality where the dance floor is a sanctuary of possibility, where freedom is something you can feel. Whether it is about exhibitionism or escapism, the choice to hide behind a mask or strip away all pretense, break social barriers or embrace hedonism, each face in this photo-series tells a story, each image reflects the hidden narratives behind a fleeting expression or glance. The nightlife photographs in Le bal infernal document the ephemeral moments, the distinctive characters and intense moods that define the soul of an almost bygone era in a capital city that never sleeps.
Photographer: Benita Suchodrev
Nationality: Russian / American
Based in: Berlin, Germany
Website: benitasuchodrev.com
Instagram: @benitasuchodrev
Benita Suchodrev was born in the former USSR and immigrated to the United States where she received her Bachelor degree in Liberal Arts with a focus on Art History continuing to a Master of Arts in English Literature, graduating with high honors.
In 2008 Benita relocated to Berlin and began an extensive documentation of the cosmopolitan city’s multifaceted art scene while working on diverse photographic projects.
Her photographs have been published in the books “Of Lions and Lambs” (Kehrer 2019), “48 Hours Blackpool” (Kehrer 2018), “Nachtleben Berlin: 1974 bis heute” (Metrolit 2013) and “Berlin Now” (teNeues 2009) and have been covered by various television, radio and print media including Arte, The guardian, Zeit Online, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Monopol, Amica Italy, Art, Mare Magazine and Stern.de, among others.
Her awarded portrait and documentary works have been exhibited in solo and group shows nationally and internationally and are part of stately and private Collections. Benita is a member of the photographer’s agency FOCUS. She lives and works in Berlin.