Contemporary art: Can I sit there or is it art?

Can I sit there, or is it art?

The front of the Hamburger-Bahnof

Posted by Griffin. Yesterday mother and I went to the Hamburger-Bahnof Museum for Contemporary Art. The Hamburger-Bahnof was originally a train station, and the many exhibit halls still have the original glass and wrought iron ceilings found in so many train stations across Europe. The building was built as a train station in 1846 and in 1906 it was converted into the National Railway Museum. It suffered significant damage during World War II, and after the war it was shut down. However in 1984 the desolate building was bought and remodeled into a contemporary art museum and in 1987 it opened as the National Gallery's official contemporary art museum.

Moby Dick by Michael Beutler

Another view of  Moby Dick

The art in this museum is quite different from other museums. First this museum exclusively presents contemporary art, much of it from the last 20 years. Secondly the art here is not just to be observed, but it is to experienced. The most memorable piece in this museum was most certainly Moby Dick by Michael Beutler. The space where the old railway platforms used to be has now been converted into a giant exhibition hall. Michael Beutler, a Berlin-based artist, has transformed this space into a place of production. Here giant structures that slowly rotate on pools of water dominate the space, while towards the back Beutler has shown the means of production for these structures. Beutler has constructed buildings (shown below) using paper for the structures, while other buildings show a more abstract side of the creative process. This exhibit provides a window into the artistic creative process and the artist successfully creates an engaging landscape of objects to interact with.

The back of Moby Dick 

Diamond Dust Shoes by Andy Warhol

While Moby Dick was the highlight, the permanent collection stopped nothing short of stunning. The first section of the permanent collection has conceptual art from the last 25 years. Conceptual art is all about pushing the boundaries of art and bringing the commonplace into art. These works beg the question "Is this art". For example what appears to be a bench (pictured at top) is actual art, or what appears to be a pile of blackboards (pictured below) is actually a piece of art representing the limitations of human knowledge. While for me conceptual art may not be the most enjoyable form of art it most definitely made me think. Walking through the exhibit I wondered again and again, "What is art? Is art a painting? Is art only art if someone says so? And if so who decides what is art?" Ultimately the conclusion drawn from this exhibit is that art is a representation of the world the artist perceives, and is not determined by outside critics or ideas.

The third section of the Haburger-Bahnof is the collection of works by Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly and other artists active during the later portion of the 20th century. These works are markedly different from the conceptual art in the previous exhibit. This art features iconic images of pop culture, such as Marilyn Monroe, and showcases marvelous examples of Warhol's work, such as his Diamond Dust Shoes. Warhol's work is a glittering confection of 50's nostalgia that really provides a much needed respite from the negativity that pervades contemporary art.



Overall the Hamburger-Bahnof museum presents an excellent slice of contemporary art. With the ever changing temporary exhibitions every visit to the museum could open a new door. Currently Moby Dick is running until September 2015, and if in Berlin I highly recommend stopping by.