This was a great week in Berlin, and I don’t think any explanation of why is necessary. While en route to EIGEN + ART on Thursday, I noticed that there were a lot of attractive people around, and I wondered where they all came from. I realized then that they had been here all along, but a smile on the face (in most cases) greatly improves one’s appearance. In light of Berlin finally being graced by the sun, points this week are being awarded generously. In case you are new here, in this updated version of WDIM, points are awarded or taken away for what was missed or what we diss. The comments below are not intended to provide a review of the exhibitions, but rather a review of the event.

MONDAY 08.04

Kunsthalle by Deutsche Bank

24hour opening

- however many people were waiting in line to see this exhibition…I was naïve enough to try to pass by this opening to see the product of people waiting in line for hours to hang their work and to think that there wouldn’t be a line to get in. Being allergic to queuing, there was no chance I was going to wait, and judging by the panoramic view available on their website, I’m ok with not waiting and entering.

THURSDAY 11.04

Carsten Nicolai, crt mgn @ EIGEN + ART

+20 for happy opening-goers hanging out outside the gallery…Finally the weather permits this! While approaching this strange apparition, my stomach sank because I was afraid the people outside were waiting in line to get in, but upon getting closer it was obvious that no, here were the smokers and some gallery overflow enjoying the first glimpse of spring!

+5 for the warning signs…Art can be dangerous. They probably should have also warned that the pendulums are hypnotic and looking at the gorgeous screens for too long can make you a bit dizzy (but it was worth it…+17).

+25 for the friendly intern…I can’t remember the last time a total stranger approached me at an opening to talk about the exhibition, so when the new EIGEN + ART intern came up to us and started talking about the artwork and artist, it was quite a pleasant and unusual surprise.

“Yes, We Share a Secret,” Situated Heterogeneities, Part 1 @ L40

with Yves Mettler, Tilo Steireif, Arnaud Elfort, a.o.

+16 for the performance…After waiting around in anticipation for a performance of which we didn’t really know what to expect, it was worth the wait! First one of the artists got up to speak about his interest in Europe’s public squares, but the real treat was when the projected images began to speak through gaping black mouths that distorted the image.
+4 for, “What is Europe? A construction site! The future!...” etc.
+12 for the chorus at the end including all three projections chanting about “digging deeper, deeper deeper”…it was beautiful.

FRIDAY 12.04

German Stegmaier, Formstücke @ Galerie Zink

No points but this was one of the quietest openings I had been to in a while…It was not that there weren’t people there, it was just that people weren’t talking, and if they were, it was in hushed voices.
+10 for the tortured geometric drawings…A lot of erasing and uncertainty went into these, and I can’t help but love them.
+10 for the work in general…I overheard someone say that they were a fan of Stegmaier’s work, but this the show was boring. In Stegmaier’s defense, maybe it was a bit understated, but I found the simplicity both playful and elegant, and I like boring.
+3 for the strawberries!

Neither Here Nor There @ Grimmuseum

groupshow with 10 Irish artists

+9 for free drinks including Guinness…
+20 for another crowded opening in which the crowd overflow is hanging around outside…I know this is something that won’t be worthwhile talking or writing about in a few weeks because it will be the norm, but for now it’s pretty important as it’s a sign of better weather and better moods. Even hanging out in the courtyard next to the trash bins was pleasant.

+15 for this work by De Burca/Wagner of public sculptures and a little interpretation or someone’s opinion about each one…This is a very entertaining piece, but it’s a bit trying to try and read all the text during an opening. I smell a book project coming on…

+3 for this guy…A friend was complaining about paintings with animals in them and said that deer were the new birds. Maybe that’s true, but I can’t help but like Sophie Iremonger's painting with the little smiling bear, he had me at hello.

SUNDAY 14.04

"Nothing that exists or happens is symmetrical" Guided Tour @ CHB - Collegium Hungaricum Berlin

+12 For the lovely afternoon we had with Timea Anita Oravecz at the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin. It was a unique experience to visit the -rather dreamy- show with the artist herself, who provided us with plenty of insightful commentaries about her work. Alas! more artists should offer guided tours through their exhibitions...
-3 for all those who missed this because of their uncontrollable urge to lay out in the sun, however there's another chance to catch the artist on a special visit on Sunday 28.04. Save the date!.

Peter Osborne, The Postconceptual Condition: A Report on Art @ Haus der Kulturen der Welt

lecture

+5 for the Peter wearing the most beautiful bright red eyeglasses I have ever seen...
+5 for, “There is something strange going on in the world of prefixes…”
All in all it was a good week, so let’s hope that the pleasantness continues!