Berlin - michael

Arts & Culture Arts & Culture
Neue-national Gallerie
www.neue-nationalgalerie.de.
Potsdamer Strasse 50. U-Bahn/S-
Bahn: Potsdamer Platz. Tel: +49 30
266 424 242. Tue-Wed, Sun 10am-
6pm; Thur 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat
10am-8pm. Price: €5-10.
Visiting the Neue Nationalgalerie is in
itself not to be missed. Designed by
Mies van der Rohe, the building hosts
special temporary exhibitions that
can last for a couple of years as well
as works of classical Modernism and
1960-70s art work. The permanent
exhibition is located in the lower
part of the gallery.
The temporary collections focus
on representations of Cubism,
Expressionism, Surrealism and the
Bauhaus. Currently the Bilderträume
(Dreams in Pictures) – Die Sammlung
Ulla und Heiner Pietzsch exhibition
is running up until November 2009.
The Bilderträume is an unmissable
opportunity to view possibly the
most private collection in Berlin.
What makes this exhibition so unique
is the collection is solely based on
two distinctive styles; Surrealism
and Abstract Expressionism. The art
of Surrealism is a style that was fi rst
developed from direct Surrealist
infl uences in New York following
WWII and is still recognised today.
This forms the core of the collection
while the second part of the collection
focuses on the early works of Abstract
Expressionism. The Ulla and Heiner
Pietzsch collection began over 40
years ago and comprises of over 180
artistic pieces by some of the world’s
most infl uential artists, such as Max
Ernst, Joan Miró and Dorothea Tanning.
Walking around this remarkable gallery
are amazing pieces of art that go from
stunning to bizarre, fantastical to
grotesque. What’s more the artists’
surreal and abstract styles are
perfectly presented throughout the
exhibition, giving a sense of curiosity
and wonder around each corner.
The exhibition illustrates the
development of abstract expressionism
and surrealism and it is truly amazing
how each artist individually conveys
this style. Forthcoming exhibitions can
be found on the website.
Museum fur Film und
Fernsehen (Film/TV Museum)
www.deutsche-kinemathek.de.
U-Bahn/S-Bahn: Potsdam Platz. Tel:
+49 3 024 749 888. Tues-Sun:10am-
6pm, Thu: 10am-8pm. Price: €6/€4.50
concession
A treasure to fi lm enthusiasts and
history nuts alike, this museum Marlene Dietrich. Accompanying the
focuses on the last 100 years of permanent exhibition is a temporary
German fi lm history. A particular “Moments in Time 1989/1990” display.
emphasis is placed on the golden Following the fall of the Berlin wall
era, when Berlin came close to and aware that their protest could
matching those of Hollywood. no longer be stopped, Berliners
Upon entering, be sure to grab the
free audio guide. Take a wander
through the permanent exhibition.
Images invert and skew and refl ect
as mirrors and irregular walls almost
convey a walk within the confi nes
of the lens of a camera. Black
and white fi lms are beautifully
juxtaposed against the modern
interior decor and each exhibit is
insightful and to the point. Presented
chronologically, classic fi lm fans will
relish behind-the-scenes glimpses
of fi lms including “Das Cabinet Des
Caligari” (1920) and “Metropolis”
increasingly felt a desire to capture
events on fi lm. Taken by private
individuals in diverse and personal
ways, the presentation sheds some
additional light on the most important
period in post-war German history
in a colourful and insightful manner.
Leaving as much to the imagination as
objectively illustrating the events and
emotions felt at the time, the display
is a rare insight into the events of 1989
Berlin from the perspectives of directly
affected individuals set comparatively
against worldwide news reports issued
at the same time.
77 Potsdamer Platz & Tiergarten Potsdamer Platz & Tiergarten 78