A glittering new gallery in Berlin, just off Karl-Marx-Allee, is taking a new look at mid-century design in the former German Democratic Republic, along with contemporary design from elsewhere in the East bloc and the west.
East German (and East European) architecture and decor has been subject to hard criticism and even mockery for years, although as we’ve found in our travels, it didn’t look a lot different from what was being built around the rest of Europe…and occasionally better. The gallery’s exhibit, perhaps less blinded by ideology, may make that clearer.
The exhibit is at Central Gallery Berlin, located just off what once was Stalin-Allee. It’s definitely on my summer agenda. More info
Photo: obs/Central Berlin Gallery
I did find the Communist Eastern European architecture and decor very bland at the time
but people made the most of what they had .I was impressed how people kept items working.