Fasanenstrasse is a relatively big street in the Western side of the city, connecting the Hohenzollernplatz with Zoo via Ku'damm, with many elegant discrete shops and even much more art galleries and shops. Yesterday, enjoying a pleasant mid-day, I finally made a tour of the most important art attractions located on this street.
At no. 30, there is the Buchholz Gallery, moved to Berlin after 20 years of intensive art activity in Cologne. Introducing constantly modern artists to the hectic public of the capital city, for the month of June it presents an exhibition of Michael Krebber, 'Systemic Relevance'. Nearby, there is an impressive shop of Near Eastern and unique Asian antiquities - Guenther Venzke. Another shop under the same brand is situated a couple of numbers away, closer to the Museum of Literature, with a nice aquarium with big black fish near the door, the kind that you will find in Japan right at the entrance to the traditional villas.
One of my favourite discoveries is the Art Nouveau shop by Wolfgang Guetzlaf, selling unique jewellery and decoration items, many of them made at the beginning of the 20th century. The jewellery is really priceless and so special that I would prefer to forget that I ever seen them. Another style of jewels are exposed at the Dagmar Stuehler, with a design that remembers of the unpredictable and massive natural forces, nature being one of the main inspiration of the artist.
Back in the world of pure arts, at the Ketterer Art Gallery, there is an exhibition running till mid-August exploring the games and strength of colours.
On the opposite side of the road, there is the old Galerie Kornfeld, an interesting space washed by the beam of light coming through the big windows, most of them with a beautiful view on a back garden.
Till the beginning of the week, there is an exhibition by Herbert Scheibl - Babylon, inspired by the universal language of nature.
Built in the 19th century, and seriously affected by the bombings, Villa Griesebach was completely renovated decades ago, respecting the original design and decorations.
As a new exhibition was prepared, I was only able to visit the main lobby, but even with the limited access I was able to have a view of the beautiful interior. Here are organized regularly auctions.
And if the glamorous weather will make you feel guilty to spend too much time in closed spaces, but still want to see and admire art, Kaethe Kollwitz museum makes this possible with an interesting selection of works of art. Visiting the museum isn't a bad idea either.
Although I am more into classical art lately, I try to catch up with the modern and contemporary art too, as the creative art installations outline for me fragments of reality otherwise obscured by the uneventful reality. Kunsthandel Wolfgang Werner KG, at no. 72 presents for the first time a solo exhibition of Gerhard von Graevenitz. Many of the works were rarely exposed to the public, made by an artist that represented the avant-garde of the post war arts. The kinetic works are mind blowing: the mounted individual geometric elements are slowly rotated by motors creating new shapes and meanings. In some cases, the visitor him or herself can move them, being co-participant at the making of a new work of art.
I continued my journey through the modern arts at the Raab Gallery where till mid-July there is an exhibition of three artists: Shen Shubin - the author of the work from the picture, Masa'aki Maruyama and Qin Feng. Shen Shubin combines the wisdom of Asian painting introducing pop-art elements and industrial motives.
To the artists looking to prepare their next exhibition, Lumas shop gives the possibility of producing big size photographies.
On the way back home, I stop in the front of a beautiful entrance on the same Fasanenstrasse, I realized that perhaps I have been unfair to many other beautiful presences on that fantastic street. I promise to myself to see more and more beautiful things for the next days, in Berlin, on Fasanenstrasse or anywhere I go. Because it's very healthy for the soul!
