Neues Museum: Russians & Germans. 1000 Years of Art, History and Culture

The exhibition in one sentence: An exhibition on one thousand years of cultural contacts between Russians and Germans.

  

I liked: The photo series on today's Berlin Marzahn, an area where a lot of Russian immigrants live.

 

I disliked: The fact that it is not an exhibiton about Russians and Germans but about Russian and German souvereigns. 'Normal' people hardly ever appear, if so, almost only during the section on the 20th/21st century.  The fact that some dull modern photography installation presents the second world war. Was it too difficult to find appropriate objects? Is it still too controversial a topic and only art makes it possible to deal with it? 

Favorite object: The skull of the Steller-manatee which was a huge and peaceful animal living in the baltic sea until it was hunted by men and extinguished.

What about the exhibition design? Well, diplomatically put: it's getting better from room to room. The archiceture of the Neues Museum on the other hand is fabulous.

Fun fact: Did you know Peter the Great wanted everybody in Saint Petersburg to dress "Western"? He was so serious about it, that he put up figurines with the proper apparel at the entrances to town so that everybody coming to Saint Petersburg would know how to dress.

Parental advisory: Not necessarily an exhibition for children.

Overall rate: Njoaaaa. Which means: I was not really convinced. But then I generally prefer small exhibitions, not those that want to teach you 1000 years of history and already have you worn out after 200 years...

Information:

Russians & Germans. 1000 Years of Art, History and Culture.

Sat 6 October 2012 - Sun 13 January 2013

Neues Museum

Bodestraße 1-3
10178 Berlin

Opening Hours

Mon -Wed 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Thu 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Fri -Sun 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

The main exhibition texts are given in English.

Link to the exhibition's page.

Bodemuseum, Berlin: Lamentation for a Dead Prince. The Pleurants from the Tomb of Duke John the Fearless in Dijon

The exhibition in one sentence: 37 alabaster figurines made between 1443 and 1456 mourning the death of Duke John the Fearless which normally are on display at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon but will be in the Bodemuseum, Berlin until February during the period of renovation in Dijon.

I liked: the figurines. Petite, vunerable, precise and oh so sad.

I disliked: the figurines, because they look oh so sad. Not good for an empathetic person like myself.

Favorite object: The figurine that made it on the exhibition's poster. Sobb.

What about the exhibition design? Classy, as it has got to be in the Bodemuseum.

Fun fact: Nothing, too sad a topic, however there is a quite weird scene depicted in one of the paintings in the room (see fifth photo from below).

Parental advisory: Not suitable for kids. Mainly, because the figurines look sad but also because they are all on a very high pedestal.

Overall rate: A Must-See! Who knows if they will ever be shown outside of Dijon again!

Information:

Lamentation for a Dead Prince, The Pleurants from the Tomb of Duke John the Fearless in Dijon

Bodemuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Am Kupfergraben 1

10178 Berlin

Opening Hours

Mon closed

Tue 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Wed 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Thu 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Fri 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sat 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sun 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

admission ticket
8,- EUR reduced admission 4,- EUR 

Texts in English available

Link to the page of the exhibiton.

Edit: I nominated this exhibition as the exhibition of the year 2012, for more Info, click here .