The Box and Bar was a black box with a stage and seating for 80 people in the foyer of Deutsches Theater, where you could also find a bar. In 2009, the stage closed following a change of artistic director. There was a budget allocated for an editor and a farewell publication. However, the editor had to pull out at short notice, so the artistic director’s office handed the budget over to us: we were told to come up with something instead of the publication.

We photographed the entire stage piece by piece in a single night, leaving no part out. Every photo print is unique, bearing traces of use, angry stiletto holes or tape markings. When laid out together, all the photos form the complete stage as it was in this moment in time. Each member of staff received a numbered piece of the stage as a farewell gift.