Berlin - michael

Arts & Culture Arts & Culture
Museum für Fotografi e
(Museum of Photography)
www.helmutnewton.com. U-Bahn:
Zoologicher Garten. Tel +49 30 266
3666. Tues-Sun 10am-6pm, Thur
10am-10pm. Price: €4-8. Free:
Thursdays after 6pm.
One of history’s most daring and
notorious photographers, Berlinborn
Helmut Newton had a distinct
risqué style; capturing the dramatic
and often dangerous side of beauty.
Over 1,000 works from Newton
are permanently on display at
the Museum of Photography. The
collection of black and white photos,
often focusing on nude women,
explores the politically incorrect
sexual nature of the human species
which noticeably infl uenced society’s
perspective on fashion, women and
portraiture.
Following Newton’s fatal car crash in
October 2004, shortly after donating
more than 1000 of his works to the
museum, the public exhibition serves
to be a mesh of both bereavement
and celebration; for the art and man
who was Helmut Newton.
On the ground fl oor of the museum
is a rare showcase called “Private
Property” which delves into the
life of the photographer himself. A
replication of his Monte Carlo study,
family photos, and a collection of
letters between Newton and other
prominent members of society,
including Margaret Thatcher, pay
homage to Newton’s work and life.
The eerie collection is a perfect
introduction to the Museum itself as
the display reveals a prudent quality
to Newton’s extensive catalogue of
often misinterpreted pieces.
Situated on the fi rst fl oor and probably
the most highly regarded display
is the temporary exhibit “Sumo”,
which displays 394 black and white
photographs. Originally the contents
of a giant book, once limited to
the coffee tables of a well-heeled
few, the exhibit commemorates
the 10th anniversary of the book’s
publication. Amongst the collection
are rare portraits of the likes of David
Bowie, Grace Jones, Rainer Werner
Fassbinder and Andy Warhol.
Complimenting Newton’s works is an
exhibition entitled “Three Boys from
Pasadena”. Mark Arbeit, George Holz
and Just Loomis, three friends of
Newton’s which he worked alongside
and mentored, have 25 pieces of
their collections on display. Selected
by June Newton, Helmut Newton’s
wife, the cinematic and raw style
of the collections share similar
undertones to a lot of Newton’s
work.
Together the collaborated display
makes for an impressive journey
into the eyes of one of the world’s
most controversial and leading
photographers. Although often
quite confronting and uncensored,
the photographs invite the viewer
to push past the nude subjects and
explore the world around the girl
and the vision of Newton himself.
The extensive collection tastefully
captures the triumph of desire and
the failure of reality rarely seen in
such an audacious and mischievous
manner, which is well worth a visit
for those that search beyond a bare
glance.
Gedenkstätte Plötzensee
www.gedenkstaette-ploetzensee.
de. Hüttigpfad 1. U-Bahn/S-Bahn:
Beusselstasse, Bus 123. Mon-Sun
9am-5pm. Price: Free.
The Gedankstätte Plötzensee is
a small memorial in the north of
Charlottenburg, dedicated to the
memory of those executed under the
Nazi rule. It stands on the site of a
prison, fi rst built in 1868 to house
convicts with short-term sentences.
It was also where some of the most
famous opponents of Nazi Germany,
including Klaus von Stauffenberg,
were imprisoned and executed. For
fans of the fi lm Valkyrie this site,
which was not allowed to be used
as a location due to the controversy
surrounding Tom Cruise’s religion,
may be of special interest.
The memorial itself is embodied by a
shrine. In the main room, which still
contains the hooks in the wall from
where prisoners were hanged, several
wreaths and fl ags mark the place
where many atrocities occurred. In
addition to this chilling reminder of
the reality of the prison’s history,
there is a small but informative
exhibition on the history of the prison
and the lives of its more prominent
victims. However for a site with
131 Charlottenburg Charlottenburg 132