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.

Museum Pankow: Dinge des Lebens

The exhibition in one sentence: An exhibition made up of objects from the collection of the Museum Pankow, telling the history of one of Berlin's quarters through the biographies of things like bunk beds from a second world war bunker, restaurant cups, shop signs and everything else that could possibly tell us something about the turbulent past of Pankow.

I liked: The diversity. Lots of things to discover and interersting stories to be learned through them. Makes you aware of what used to be in this or that street 100 years ago. So many lives which have been lived in Pankow!

I disliked: The fact that there were no labels, just numbers which you had to write down. You could then type in the number at one of the computers available to find out the story of the object (in German only). Why so complicated?

Favorite object: The tickets for a bubble-bath (5th picture from below)! Did you know that there were still public bathing houses in Berlin in the 1980s? Apparently most apartments in the old east did not have a bathroom yet, so people had to go there instead to have a shower!

What about the exhibition design? Well, it's a small communal museum, what can you expect.

Fun fact: Very much like the exhibtion of the Museum Neukölln...

Parental advisory: Lots to discover, no text: passes the children-test.

Overall rate: A nice, little exhibiton, especially for people living in Pankow and interested in the history of their Kiez and also for those who are a fan of the anthropological notion of the social biography of things. I count myself belonging to both categories.

Information:

Museum Pankow

Dinge des Lebens

17.06.2012 until 07.04.2013

Prenzlauer Allee 227/228
10405 Berlin

Tue - Sun 10.00 - 18.00 

 free admission

Link to the exhibiton

Link to the digital database, unfortunately only available in German

Staatsgalerie Prenzlauer Berg: Unknown Pleasures

The exhibition in one sentence: An exhibition put together with photos that were found - in an abandoned apartment, at the flea market or in the garbage.

I liked: Everthing about it! Serendipity at its best.

I disliked: Nothing really, I only wished the exhibition was bigger.

Favorite object: The photos which had been found in abandoned houses shortly after the fall of the wall.

What about the exhibition design? Simple and plain, no frill.

Fun fact: The place is called national gallery, although it's just a private gallery.
 

Parental advisory: I guess it would be a rather boring exhibition for kids. 

Overall rate: Go there! 

Information:

Staatsgalerie Prenzlauer Berg 

Unknown Pleasures

20.10.2012-4.11.2012

Sun-Mon. closed

Tue.-Fri. 2 pm-7 pm

Sat. 1 pm- 6 pm 

no admission

Link to the exhibition