Berlin's temporary art exhibition shocks with creative juxtapositions

Despite the heat in Berlin, crowds are cueing up to view the final exhibition of the German capital's Temporary Art Hall.

German artist and curator John Bock has built an 11-meter (36-foot) walk-in steel structure. Utilizing blankets, car tires, burned pizzas and old socks knitted together, Bock has created small spaces, boxes and miniature galleries over four levels and installed some 150 art-works by 63 contemporary artists.

"I'm sick and tired of museums showing artworks in isolation," said Bock. "I wanted to bring creative work together. I chose young and old artists from Berlin mainly, and I added a few stars."

The curator forces his own sculptures, installations, films and performances into a structure that is both functional and grotesque. He combines Heino Zobernig's minimalist crucifix made of toilet paper rolls with the erotic collages by Mathew Hale and Sergej Jansen's canvas decorated with water drops.

Christoph Schlingensief is responsible for film, music and theater in the project. The performance artist uses the music of Lachenmann and Xenakis and adds Paul McCartney memorabilia and a cigarette butt with Jane Russell's lipstick.

As visitors cross shaky bridges, climb ladders and squeeze into tiny spaces, they are invited to embark on their own contemporary art discovery voyage. The Temporary Art Hall in Berlin will be taken down in September. In its place, Berlin's historic City Palace was going to be rebuilt, but the project has been postponed indefinitely due to the financial crisis.

"Good," said Bock. "We don't need a historic place here. We need a place of movement, a place where young art is shown and people meet."

Author: Peter Zimmermann

Editor: Kate Bowen