The KLUB VERBOTEN phenomenon: Prophets usually come to us as completely inconspicuous people.
Only much later do we realise the greatness of their vision, the dimension of their actions.
The world-shaking changes they initiate are too silent for our dulled senses at the beginning.
Karl Verboten, founder of KLUB VERBOTEN, is such a silent prophet.
We introduce him to you today so that you cannot claim afterwards you did not know.
Those who met him know how much positive energy Karl spreads.
And whoever saw his projects including Klub VERBOTEN knows that he is much more than an artist or event organiser.
With KLUB VERBOTEN he has initiated a movement that stands for freedom and joy without shame.
So take a breath, sit back and take in Karl’s words.
You will hear a lot more from him in the future, our prophet of a new era of hedonism.
Klub VERBOTEN. Why forbidden? What is forbidden?
Karl: Arriving in London after departing Germany was like nuking that Trabant straight into a wall on the Autobahn. At least nightlife culture felt like it – Queue here, ID scan there.
Bouncers climbing toilet cubicles and staff equipped with 20.000 Ansi lumen torches were just sending the wrong vibes. In other words, it seemed like someone tackled the issue from the wrong end.
Verboten is a space that liberates through replacing ‘System-Gastro’ politics with interpersonal responsibilities.
In addition Verboten is what needs to be banned on the larger scale of negative human complexity but promotes freedom, pleasure & equality.
Who belongs to the club?
K: Every prospective perverso that does not intend to behave like a total dick, regardless of their sexual preferences, gender or background or financial status.
Projects like Klub VERBOTEN form communities. These communities influence their surroundings. So you influence our culture. In which direction?
K: We are on the path to owning our filth regardless of what society above ground thinks of what’s acceptable.
But we needed this community to support and squeeze each other through this dense layer of Daily Mail banalities and quick-cum stereotype erotica that’s been left by whatever generation was here before.
For sexuality as the umbrella term, it’s so easy to be lived and championed within this ultra-flat dimension of digestible Craigslist-advert flavour kink, with MSN messenger level of exchange and AA battery disposable-vibrator level type pleasure.
We came together as we expected more from all this, and splashing around on the surface of a cum ocean just wasn’t enough.
We want to leave all the naffness behind and deep dive towards the less lid ground levels into the unbekannte.
Many cultural projects like yours have problems with censorship and other obstacles. What are your experiences?
K: Totally. But I also couldn’t care less. If our social media account gets taken down tomorrow, then fair enough.
Without content creators that challenge the norms, these platforms are just the rotten tentacles of truth-bending fuckbois like Cambridge Analytica.
I’ll happily go and buy a fax machine to dedicate my time towards spamming the British Telecom data hubs with 19kb images of my penis.
Btw…All orders from our shop get shipped with Verboten censorship strip type stickers. We highly motivate people to use these where censorship should be applied – AFD election posters, Brexit busses etc.
If everyone would live their sexuality openly, there would be no need for Klub VERBOTEN. Correct or not?
K: I’m a 169% with you.
What is the beauty of fetishes and open sex?
K: It provides us with means of communication far outside the norms, allowing us to express and connect in ways that see beyond financial or social statuses, allowing for dialogue between the full spectrum of human diversity.
The beauty is that one doesn’t have to turn to Duolingo. All it’s all already embedded within you; just let go of those stigmas, and plenty will be possible.
In one word:
K: Germany is the home of…Freedom (Last time I checked).
UK is the home of…Heteronomy.
Klub VERBOTEN is the home of…Perverts.
How has Corona influenced Klub VERBOTEN & party culture in general?
K: Perhaps too early to say, but I fear that it has killed whatever was at the fringes of it.
Those small radical entities and characters that led us spiritually told us to be critical and kept challenging the big oil tankers may have had a real hard time.
On the contrary the digestible mainstream narrative will be just fine as always. Corona has been a big blamer for governments to come down hard with additional regulations for the night-time economy. I wonder how much of that will stay with us in a post-covid world.
Another worrying element is that we have received more reports on creepy individuals attempting to cross boundaries in more severe ways at private house parties than we would get in a normal year from public events.
Three artists who have impressed you and why?
Stephen Milners recently published a book named “A Spiritual Good Time”, which gave a refreshing new context to old surf images.
Especially, one that allowed for desire and gay identity.
Dedicating a larger chunk of my time in life to surfing waves in various regions of this arguably non-flat earth of ours, I was never fully able to connect with the hyper-alpha-male driven surf life or community fully.
Moreover, I adore Stephen for the freedom and bravery he took with his work.
I don’t know much about art.
But I think he’s a true artist.
We had the pleasures to share a few projects and lately also waves.
Servadio always brings something to his work that’s so incredibly raw and strong.
One will struggle to find that elsewhere in the world. Just like watching waves or people in rubber, I could put my mind for hours into his output.
Servadio uses various mediums from tattooing to sculpturing to painting and so on. Get a piece of his work now; the inheritors of your DNA will thank you for it.
Thirdly, Patrick Haggerty of Lavender Country
What a beautiful human being Patrick Haggerty is. So honest, bold and unapologetic about themselves.
I might not identify with country music but I can relate to Patrick and thus Lavender Country resonates with me.
Five years in we feel more comfortable with Verboten than ever and definitely don’t intend to sneak in 2021. Those conservative radicals in Britain we need to look the other way from now on as we are not going to hide.
Greeting words from London to Berlin?
K: Send us Ostpakete.
And here he is. The man of our dreams: Karl, the revolutionist taking a piss.
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