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The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
The Jewish dealer who bought art hated by the Nazis – and created one of the greatest collections ever seen
When Heinz Berggruen left Germany for America in 1936, he was not allowed more than 10 marks in his pocket. As a young journalist in Berlin, Berggruen had been forced to publish under the pseudonym 'h.b.' in order to hide his Jewish heritage and evade the Nazi party's antisemitism. In the decades that would follow, he became an art dealer, regularly rubbing shoulders with the most important artists of the 20th century, and amassing one of the most impressive private collections of modern art ever to exist. On the day he left Berlin for Berkeley, however, such a future would have seemed impossible. A year after Berggruen departed Germany, the Nazi party escalated its assault on culture by staging the infamous exhibition titled Entartete Kunst ('degenerate art'). Based on the belief that modern art represented a cultural decay and assault on German values, the regime confiscated more than 16,000 artworks and presented a number of them in an exhibition intended for public ridicule. This invisible history is embedded in the artworks in the National Gallery of Australia's new exhibition, Cézanne to Giacometti: Highlights from Museum Berggruen/Neue Nationalgalerie, which is mostly drawn from Berggruen's collection and showcases many of the artists that the Nazis repudiated. The first artwork that Berggruen ever purchased was a watercolour drawing by Paul Klee. The work, which he bought for US$100 in 1940 from another émigré in Chicago, immediately held personal significance. Berggruen described the artwork as his 'talisman' and likely saw his own history reflected in the biography of Klee – a Swiss German artist, who had taught at the Bauhaus before being designated as 'degenerate' and leaving Germany in 1933, the same year Adolf Hitler became chancellor. Berggruen would carry Klee's watercolour drawing everywhere, even taking it with him when he was called up to serve in the US military. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning '[The drawing] was probably a reminder of a world and home he had to leave behind, and a Germany that didn't exist any more,' explains Natalie Zimmer, curator at Museum Berggruen, which is part of Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie. 'Works by Klee really represented a cultural cosmos he was longing for … a reminder of everything that was good for Heinz, and very much the opposite to the Nazi regime.' Artistic style can sometimes seem like an inward-facing conceit. Its importance is lauded by a subset of the art world – and yet, the greater distance one has from the context of its creation, the more ambivalent we as viewers can become to it. Similarly, the work of assembling a private art collection can be of critical importance to some – historians, institutions, the collector's immediate family – and be of little to no interest to most gallery visitors. But the Berggruen collection bucks both trends. Here, the modernist style is not just some idle indulgence, but a critical artistic counterpoint to the sanctioned aesthetics of the Nazis. Collecting such repudiated art was an act of resistance. Klee's abstracted watercolour drawings, Alberto Giacometti's elongated sculptures, Pablo Picasso's dissonant Cubism: all despised by the Nazis and all now present at the NGA. The story that the NGA is telling is primarily focused on the spread of modernist art styles across Europe and its eventual arrival in Australia. Here, the spread begins with the work of Paul Cézanne – a key precursor to the avant-garde movements of the 20th century, whom Picasso purportedly referred to as 'the father of us all' – before moving on to trace his immediate impact on the artistic styles of Cubism and Fauvism, and its persisting influence on the generations of artists that followed. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion This influence is present even when it is not immediately apparent. 'Giacometti is well known for his incredibly tall skinny sculpted works – but what on earth does that have to do with Cézanne?' asks David Greenhalgh, curator at the NGA. 'Well, a lot. Giacometti had a painterly way of sculpting. He built his works up particle by particle – like the constructive brushstrokes of Cézanne.' The basic lines of this narrative follow the conventional history of western art. Yet within the exhibition, this genealogy is extended out to encompass pockets of less-aired histories. Of particular note are the works by Dora Maar, whose Portrait of Pablo Picasso (1938) resists the well-rehearsed and reductive portrayals of her as merely Picasso's muse by dramatically inverting the positions of artist and model. In the painting, Picasso is abstracted and unnerving, staring directly back with orange-yellow eyes and blank, black irises. Maar's collection of black and white street photography further redefines her as an observer of life, rather than just the object of observation. Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack's artworks are particularly arresting. The artist studied at the Bauhaus before being forced to flee Germany for England in 1936 due to his Jewish heritage. He was subsequently classified as an illegal alien and deported to Australia, where he was interned in camps in Hay, Orange and Tatura. The works that he made during this period import the lessons of the European avant-garde into country Australia to dramatic effect, aching with feeling and visually diarising the conditions of exile, as we witness in his woodblock print, Desolation: Internment Camp, Orange, NSW (1941). In 2000, Berggruen sold his collection to the German state, seven years before his death at the age of 93. 'It was a huge act of reconciliation by someone who was driven out of the city some 60 years before and still chose to give his works to Berlin, rather than Geneva or London,' reflects Gabriel Montua, director of the Museum Berggruen. With this gesture, Berggruen helped to fill the historical gaps created by the Nazis' violent confiscations – and left behind a collection that testifies to the power of art in moments of true peril. Cézanne to Giacometti: Highlights from Museum Berggruen/Neue Nationalgalerie is on at the National Gallery of Australia until 21 September 2025.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Arab News
Balad Al-Fann brings Saudi art to life
JEDDAH: The second edition of the Balad Al-Fann art program has opened in Jeddah Historic District and runs until June 15. The initiative this time presents a captivating series of art exhibitions, held under the theme 'Our Storied Walls,' which celebrate memory, culture and place. It boasts a renewed focus on local narratives with each exhibition looking at the tangible and human heritage of the city. Held at Nassif Boutique, the exhibition is a tribute to the late artist Hisham Binjabi, a foundational figure in Saudi Arabia's modern art movement. Curated by Ayman Yossri Daydban, a former student of Binjabi, the exhibition blends art and memories through archival materials, selected artworks, personal possessions and rare voice recordings. Arab News spoke to Daydban, who is one of the most prominent contemporary artists in Saudi Arabia, with his works featuring in major museums and biennials. He said: 'This is a personal exhibition. My journey with Hisham Binjabi began over 35 years ago when he discovered my work, admired it, and encouraged me. 'For a whole year his name echoed in my mind, until I held my first solo exhibition in 1991. It was his encouragement and appreciation of my boldness — he said I thought outside the box — that pushed me forward. I found myself naturally drawn to contemporary art.' Daydban's art is conceptual, and rooted in ideas and meaning. Binjabi, on the other hand, remained faithful to classical and realist styles. Daydban said: 'For years we observed each other's work from afar, and every time we met I felt like a student reuniting with his mentor. 'But Hisham was more than an artist — he was a social figure, a cultural activist who managed and promoted art within the community, bringing art into social and human contexts. 'His greatest influence was not just in his paintings, but in his presence, personality, and wisdom.' The exhibition does not merely display Binjabi's artworks — it narrates his life story through them. His wife played a part by telling their story through her lens and, for the first time, her works are featured in a dedicated section alongside audio recordings of her and their daughters, reflecting on their lives together as a creative family. An audio room on the upper floor features testimonials from contemporary artists who were his students or peers, and more recordings are added daily. The exhibition unfolds across three levels: a deeply emotional audiovisual experience, a debut showcase of his wife's personal works, and a collective sonic space for shared memory and reflection. Daydban added: 'Hisham was, above all, a socially engaged artist, and this exhibit is aimed primarily at the community of Al-Balad, where he lived and left his mark.' The program also honors the late Safeya Binzagr, one of the first female visual artists in the Kingdom. Curated by Effat Fadag, the exhibition weaves together the visual and literary in a journey filled with nostalgia, history and cultural memory. The exhibition presents rare paintings, handwritten letters, and personal belongings that reflect Binzagr's unique lens on Hejazi life. Her deeply human portrayals of women, homes, attire and rituals offer not only artistic beauty but also historic insight. Titled 'Revealing What Was Hidden,' the exhibition shows how Binzagr used her art to bring the past to life. Her work helps keep Saudi culture and history alive. The event honors her role as an artist and historian, and Fadag said: 'I asked myself: What can I say that hasn't already been said? I wanted to highlight aspects of her journey that aren't widely known.' Binzagr was the first woman to publicly showcase her family and community life, giving a voice to the private lives of Saudi women — a society that was largely hidden at the time. Fadag said: 'I tried to reflect this (voice) through the layout of the exhibition, using the historic Nassif House, starting from the main building to the external annex, with three symbolic doors that narrate her story.' This journey begins with Binzagr's birth and upbringing, moves through her education, the exhibitions she held, and finally her artistic projects on Saudi traditional attire, which are featured on the second floor. Fadag said: 'In the clothing room you see very personal images — she even modeled for her work so she could better understand and express the exact details she wanted to paint. She knew exactly how to translate her vision.' The final section focuses on giving back to the community, and how Binzagr impacted learning, the broader culture and society at large. The initiative also puts the spotlight on a curated selection of winning works from a national photography competition, while Balad Al-Fann also hosts a competition showcasing traditional calligraphy, ceramics, ornamentation, and engraving.
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
‘Gulf Art Movements' exhibition showcases history of Arab creatives
JEDDAH: Art Jameel launched the 'Gulf Art Movements' exhibition on Thursday to trace the evolution of modern creatives in the Arabian Gulf from the 1930s to the early 2000s. The exhibition at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah, titled 'Redrawing the Boundaries: Art Movements and Collectives of the 20th Century Khaleej' opened on May 22 and runs until Oct. 15. It features works by more than 50 artists, drawn from 20 state and private collections, and traces the evolution of modern art movements in the Arabian Gulf from the 1930s to the early 2000s. The 'Redrawing the Boundaries' show explores the emergence and development of key art movements across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. It examines how artists responded to dramatic shifts in their urban environments and societies while engaging with themes including changing landscapes, public and private spheres, and the rise of formal art institutions. The exhibition includes works from the Art Jameel Collection alongside loans from notable public and private collections, including Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Barjeel Art Foundation, the Sultanate of Oman's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth Collection, and the Sharjah Art Foundation. Featuring over 80 works, the exhibition highlights a variety of influences —from local folklore and traditions to Western modernist movements, as well as Egyptian and South Asian visual cultures. From the calligraphic abstraction of Hurufiyya, an artistic movement exploring the potential of Arabic script, to the experimental ethos of collectives such as The Five, The Circle, and the Shatta Collective, the exhibition captures the innovative spirit that defined a generation of artists. These artists not only shaped national art movements but also worked collaboratively, founded institutions, and envisioned new futures for art in the Gulf. The show builds on an earlier exhibition curated by Aisha Stoby titled 'Khaleej Modern: Pioneers and Collectives from the Arabian Peninsula,' which was held at New York University Abu Dhabi Art Gallery in 2022. In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Stoby elaborated on her curatorial approach. 'They were artists who were not just foundational figures within their practices, who are without question leaders of the art movements within their own countries, but were influential through all these criteria.' 'They were establishing institutions, mentoring, and building movements. So it was above and beyond the artwork.' The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections: 'The Landscape and Public Sphere,' 'Identity and Private Space,' 'Abstraction and Ephemerality,' and 'The Conceptual New Wave.' Stoby said: 'For me what became very pronounced is if you look at the material thematically, with it comes chronologies and with it comes geographies.' 'It seemed eventually that the most natural way that these conversations could come out themselves was by putting it into a thematic structure,' she added. The exhibition opens with a pairing of paintings in the first section, dedicated to landscape and public space. The two works, by Abdulkarim Al-Orrayed and Abdulhalim Radwi, set the tone for a dialogue between cities, histories, and artistic legacies. Al-Orrayed, a seminal figure in Bahraini modern art and a founding force behind numerous art institutions and ateliers, presents a large painting capturing the development of Manama — its houses, buildings, and evolving urban identity. In contrast, Radwi's piece captures the vibrancy of Jeddah's historic district, Al-Balad. His depiction of movement and bustle evokes the city's rich cultural rhythm. Displayed side by side, these works create one of Stoby's favorite moments in the exhibition, 'A conversation between two city centers,' reflecting shared regional experiences through local lenses. The second section, features deeply emotional and historical pieces, including two evocative works by Kuwaiti artist Thuraya Al-Baqsami. Created during the Gulf War, one of them is 'Note to the Invasion' and 'The Parting' of two people who are in love and being separated. It explores themes of separation, loss, migration and resilience. 'One piece reflects the devastation of conflict, while the other speaks to the aching tenderness of lovers pulled apart by war. These artworks do more than document — they humanize a collective trauma experienced across the Gulf,' said Stoby. In the third section, themed around abstraction and ephemerality, another wall greets visitors with three interconnected works. Among them is a piece by Abdulhalim Radwi portraying the Hajj, sourced from the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. 'It is an act of symbolic homecoming as the artwork returns to Jeddah, the city it represents. Beside it hangs 'Worshippers Leaving the Mosque' by Abdulrahman Al-Soliman. 'Together, these paintings resonate as a spiritual dialogue between two pioneering artists: one rooted in Jeddah, the other in Riyadh. 'The wall extends further with contributions from Khalifa Al-Qattan and Ali Al-Mahmeed, artists who reflect on the multifaceted ways religion is experienced in daily life across the region,' said Stoby. Finally, on the upper floor — where conceptual and new media works take center stage — a deeply symbolic film by Omani artist Anwar Sonya stands out. Known for his landscapes and cross-border artistic relationships, Sonya here turns his lens toward memory and myth. The work began as a documentary about a prominent woman who led an art institution in Kuwait. During filming, a coffee cup reading foretold she would live a long and dynamic life, only for her to pass away shortly thereafter. 'The project transformed into an elegiac reflection on mortality, folklore, and the unseen threads that bind lives and legacies. It became an artwork looking at her memory,' said Stoby. It portrays 'our relationship to myth, what is real, and what meaning we can hold onto,' Stoby added. Nora Razian, Art Jameel's deputy director and head of exhibitions and programs, said that 'Redrawing the Boundaries' offers 'a compelling rethink of modernism.' Razian added that it adds 'significantly to the study and understanding of a distinct aesthetic that developed across the Khaleej with a focus on the 1930s through to the early 2000s, a time of state formation, nation building and social transformation.' She added that the exhibition 'foregrounds the critical and foundational roles artists played in shaping institutions and cultivating creative communities during times of transformation.'
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Hockney in London review – hip, horny but still searching for his own style
Years before he was a modern art megastar, long before the cool pop perfection that would make him one of the most popular painters of the past century, David Hockney was a student. Some of his early works from this period have been brought together at a small but perfectly formed exhibition, curated by Louis Kasmin, grandson of John Kasmin, the dealer who first spotted Hockney. After leaving the Bradford School of Art, Hockney showed up at the RCA in 1959 ready to kick the art world's doors in. But this is not the Hockney the world knows now. There is no simplicity, no calm. There are no cool, flat planes of bright colour. Rather, young Hockney was a frantic, angry, tempestuous thing. And he was clearly slightly over-enamoured of the ultra-hip abstract expressionists in New York. These paintings, prints and drawings are full of vicious scribbles, irate marks and tempestuously flung paint. It's almost bewildering to see the guy known for the precise restraint of A Bigger Splash going all hyper-expressive and emotional. He was also almost unstoppably horny. A vast white phallus plunges into a huge splodge of brown in Erection; another pierces up into a plane of white in Shame. Men embrace chaotically in We Two Boys Clinging Together, while a figure thrums with angry static in Composition (Thrust), the word 'queen' angrily scrawled down its back. These are works filled with the excitement of burgeoning and, at the time still illegal, sexuality. Hockney was learning to embrace being a gay man, and the art here is a pretty good indicator of what he spent most of his time doing. Whatever spare hours he had away from this pastime he clearly spent immersing himself in all the modern art wonders London had to offer. It was his first time living in the capital, his first chance to lose himself in what its galleries had to offer. Hockney's modern aesthetic is so unique, so ubiquitous, so incredibly him, that it's a shock to see such glaringly obvious influences in his work. Twombly-esque scrawls, Bacon-y smudged figures, Rauschenbergian mess, Jasper Johns-like lettering. It's all a little derivative. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Nothing here feels like a rip off or cheap copy. Rather, it feels like synthesis, as if Hockney was absorbing all the big hits of modern art of his time, mashing them together and spitting out something new. Hockney found himself surrounded by competition, too, including the likes of Derek Boshier, Patrick Caulfield and Allen Jones who would soon help invent pop art. He had to raise his game. And his game was clearly not abstraction, which as this show progresses he largely ditches, and for the better. The prints of his take on A Rake's Progress are stark, political and confrontational, and then the last two rooms get even more figurative; a giant bespectacled demon (likely Hockney himself) stomps between New York skyscrapers, a woman dances herself into a blur, two semi-nude, barely there figures haunt an empty room, sitting on a filthy mattress. It's all assured and so confident, bursting with love and sex and partying. It might not be abstract, hard edged experimentation, but it's still undoubtedly something new. The temptation is to view this show purely as the first steps of an artistic giant, to look for hints in all this dark energy and chaos as to what he'd eventually become. That's fair enough, but it's also great art on its own merit, a portrait of youth, excitement, joy, hormones and sheer creative will. In the Mood for Love: Hockney in London, 1960-1963 is at Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert, London, until 18 July
CNA
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Exploring Berlin, Germany: Where to eat, what to see, where to stay
Berlin is home to bureaucrats and hedonists, lobbyists and artists, lovers of techno and devotees of classical music. The city's turbulent 20th-century history is visible in the bullet holes on facades, the graffitied remains of the Berlin Wall and the monotonous residential blocks erected during the post-World War II reconstruction. But Berlin's younger generations are forward-looking, and its restaurants, bars and clubs are focused on the newest trends. A sprawling city, Berlin is decentralised, with dozens of kieze, or neighbourhoods, each with its own character and heart: From Prenzlauer Berg, with pretty prewar apartment blocks and tchotchke-filled antique shops, to Kreuzberg, with leather-clad denizens and brightly lit spatis, convenience stores that stay open late and sometimes offer outdoor seating. The best time to visit Berlin begins in spring, when the city's outdoor spaces are bustling with activity into the wee hours. This year, the Museum Island's 200th anniversary shines a light on some of Berlin's oldest cultural institutions, while new restaurants and bars offer plenty of fresh opportunities to explore. FRIDAY 4pm | Learn about modern art At the Neue Nationalgalerie, or New National Gallery, the main exhibition, on view indefinitely, showcases art from 1945 to 2000. Short essays provide context on cultural, economic and political shifts during those periods. Lucio Fontana's slashed canvas hangs next to a text about the 1950s economic boom and a throwaway society, and a video of Marina Abramovic's 1975 performance Freeing the Body plays alongside an essay on oppression, objectification and liberation. The Gerhard Richter exhibition, on view until September 2026, includes one of the artist's most famous works, Birkenau, a meditation on the Holocaust. The museum leans into interactive activities. In the main exhibition, a machine with a hand crank pops out postcards with assignments — for example, to find a human-shaped sculpture and sketch its point of view. Grab a pencil and get going! Entry to all exhibitions, 20 euros (US$22; S$29) 6.30pm | Decompress with drinks and music Take a mental bath at Unkompress, a listening bar in a quiet residential section of the trendy Kreuzberg neighbourhood. In this minimalist space, the focus is on music. An entire wall is dominated by a unit featuring an audiophile's dream setup: Two turntables, massive Cornwall speakers and a collection of 300-plus records. Settle back and let jazz, funk, disco, '90s downtempo or other soothing tunes wash over you as you sip natural wine, craft beer or mezcal (7.50 euro for a glass of house wine). A handy chart on the menu plots drinks according to fruitiness, minerality, fanciness and eccentricity. As in many newer bars in Berlin, there are plenty of non-alcoholic wines and beers. Check the bar's Instagram for its event schedule, which includes DJ gigs, artsy workshops and bring-your-own-vinyl evenings. 8.30pm | Dine on elevated German cuisine Given its dark wood panelling, stately bar and red candles, Marktlokal appears to be an upscale, tradition-bound restaurant. But this is Kreuzberg, and the friendly waitstaff with pink-dyed hair and chokers immediately dispel any fears of snobbishness. The food, too, rides the wave between old and new, with beloved German ingredients refreshed through the chef's imagination. White asparagus, a popular seasonal vegetable, is enlivened by hazelnut and fermented wild garlic, while beef tartare is deepened with smoked oyster mushroom mayo and Sichuan pepper. The wine list offers mostly natural options. Don't miss dessert, which rotates like the rest of the menu and recently included caramelised bananas with vanilla ice cream, walnuts and caramel sauce (dinner for two, around 120 euros). 11pm | Bop the night away Berlin's club scene is world-renowned, but it can be intimidating. If you've got the dancing bug, check the Resident Advisor website for DJ lineups at clubs around the city. Buy tickets if possible — this will help if there's a long line. Test your luck at Berghain, a world-famous club inside a former power station, notorious for its exclusivity. To increase your chances of entry, come alone or in a small group, speak quietly while in line, and wear an all-black outfit that looks fit for a dance floor. Friday nights at Berghain's Panorama Bar are chiller, with a friendlier vibe at the door. Cash-only inside. For an easier entry, head to Sameheads, where the bar upstairs is decorated in raunchy neons and the downstairs dance area is in a graffiti-covered room. The music ranges widely and might include Italo disco, trance, house and dark techno. For a grungy experience, consider Renate, inside an abandoned building. The club, a Berlin institution since 2007, will close at the end of 2025 because of rising costs. WHERE TO STAY Hotel de Rome, a 145-room, five-star hotel that was a bank in the 1880s, has one of the best locations in Berlin: Its windows look directly onto the pink-hued Berlin State Opera. An open-air roof bar also provides city views, and an Italian restaurant, Chiaro, offers inventive Italian dishes and a leafy garden terrace. The basement — formerly used as the vault — is home to a spa with saunas and a pool. Rooms start at 450 euros, or US$512. Ginn City & Lounge Yorck-Berlin sits at the intersection of two neighbourhoods worth exploring: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, full of trendy restaurants, bars and boutiques, and Tempelhof-SchOneberg, home to several popular parks, including Tempelhofer Feld and Natur Park Schoneberger Sudgelande. From the hotel, attractions like the New National Gallery and the Museum Island are a short ride on public transit. A bar offers standard cocktails and there's a rooftop terrace. Rooms start at 114 euros. The newly opened Bellman Hotel is a short walk from the many cafes, bars and restaurants of the Neukolln neighborhood. The rooms are stylish and comfortable and there's a satisfying breakfast buffet offering cheeses, fruits, and vegan and non-vegan sweet treats. The hotel has a gym as well as a restaurant. Rooms start at 75 euros. Collapse Start the day with a flaky, chewy chocolate croissant and a coffee at Symple, a cafe with spacious outdoor seating shaded by a large tree in the charming Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhood. Afterward, stroll around the Kollwitzplatz Weekly Market, where toddlers zoom by on scooters and friends in black leather gather for a quick bite. The goods on sale blend tradition — organic honey, oversize wool blankets, woven basket bags — with unexpected finds like vulva-shaped soaps and genderless jewellery. The surrounding area is known for its antique shops and boutiques. For a quirky souvenir, visit kunst-a-bunt, where you'll find prints, colourful egg cups and treasures like a 1924 silver tea strainer. Pop over to abricot coco, a clothing shop, for sustainable basics in comfortable, airy cuts produced in Latvia and Portugal. 10.30am | Pay a visit to East Germany Dive into the history of East Germany, or the German Democratic Republic, at the state-funded Museum in der Kulturbrauerei, where entry is free. There are 800 objects in the Everyday Life in the GDR exhibition, with a large section dedicated to the connections among factory work, personal life and the state. A rhyming public service announcement warns about the risks of drinking on the job and a small alcove is filled with remnants from a nursery inside an enormous factory complex. The exhibition also reveals how people spent their money, where they went on vacation, which newspapers and magazines they read, and the kinds of clothes they wore. Furniture and decorations interspersed throughout the space — doilies, laminated wood cabinets and plastic chairs — evoke the sensation of traveling back in time. 12pm | Pit stop for kebab As you leave the Kulturbrauerei, you might see a line on the block and hear reggaeton and rap. Follow the music to its source, Ruyam Gemuse Kebab 2, one of the fast-food shop's two locations, to taste a famous Berlin dish: Vegetable kebab. Graffiti is scrawled on the walls and the friendly staff — who shout their thanks every time a visitor leaves a tip — give the entire operation the feeling of a party. The sandwiches are filling and tasty: Fluffy bread is stuffed to the brim with sliced chicken — a vegetarian option skips the meat — along with fried potatoes, onions, carrots, lettuce, fresh herbs, lemon juice and garlic sauce (6.90 euros, cash only). 2.30pm | Discover thousands of years of art history Museum Island, a UNESCO-protected site celebrating its 200th birthday with five years of events starting at the end of May, is home to six buildings showcasing art and artifacts. In an area that's less than half a square mile, discover a 3,300-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti attributed to Thutmose, paintings by Monet and Renoir, and a collection of Etruscan objects. The Panorama, a temporary exhibition in place while the Pergamon Museum, one of the six buildings on the island, undergoes renovation, immerses visitors in an enormous artwork that depicts the ancient city of Pergamon in 129 AD. At the Altes Museum, the first museum built on the island, find funerary sculptures, bronze cauldrons, mummy portraits and other remains of classical antiquity. The Garden of Delights exhibition has a Berlin flavour with ancient depictions of people engaging in erotic Not Safe for Work activities (ticket for the island and the Panorama, 24 euros). 5pm | Have dinner before the opera Set on a bustling block, JOMO Restaurant offers spacious outdoor seating, ideal for people-watching on a weekend evening. Inside, the space is airy and chic, with rustic wooden floors, a smattering of plants and red rugs, and a glass-enclosed kitchen in the centre. The menu runs the gamut with dishes like carbonara udon with French ham, smoked trout tartare with cauliflower, and Sicilian-style tuna and salmon crudo. The sweet-cheese croquettes with dulce de leche mousse and berry sauce are reminiscent of a beloved Slavic dish called syrniki and are a nod to two of the owners' Ukrainian roots. The milk punch, made with clarified coconut milk, pineapple juice and rum, tastes like a tropical vacation. On the non-alcoholic front, the 'condensed lime' drink is tart and refreshing (dinner for two, 80 euros). 7pm | Catch a classical performance Since opening nearly 300 years ago, the Berlin State Opera has hosted some of history's best-known conductors, including Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Strauss and Wilhelm Furtwangler. The opera has been rebuilt several times; its most recent renovation was completed in 2017. With a neo-Classical exterior, three-tiered auditorium and red velvet seats, the opera is — to put it simply — grand. The current season includes Sacre, a ballet with music by three composers, Cassandra, a contemporary opera about the climate crisis by Bernard Foccroulle, and Verdi's 1853 opera La Traviata (tickets start at 12 euros). SUNDAY 10am | Load up on a nutritious brunch The sisters Xenia and Sophie von Oswald mix and match Persian, German and Australian influences at rocket + basil, an easygoing, no-reservations eatery near the busy Potsdamer Platz, with exposed brick walls painted mint green inside. This is the place to load up on fibre, with a weekend menu that includes an omelette filled with butternut squash and leeks, then topped with a kale and sesame salad, or a thick sourdough toast piled high with cannellini beans, roasted radicchio and hazelnuts, with dill sprinkled on top. For a sweet option, try the mascarpone pancakes, served with caramelized bananas, maple syrup, pistachio butter and barberries. If you have space left, grab a baked good at the counter; the moist pistachio-rosewater cake and the tahini-halva brownie are equally delightful (brunch for two, 40 euros). 12pm | Catch your breath by a lake The secret to enjoying the warmer months of the year in Berlin is to head for the city's lakes. The cool waters and lush greenery encircling the city — about one-fifth of Berlin is forested — are nearby and free. With 3,000 lakes in Berlin and its adjacent state, Brandenburg, choosing one can be difficult. Fortunately, the city's tourism agency provides a useful map showing 32 options and how to reach them. Wannsee, Schlachtensee and Krumme Lanke, in the city's southwest, are 40 minutes to 60 minutes away from the centre and offer plenty of opportunities for swimming, sunbathing (clothed or nude), taking nature walks, playing volleyball and table tennis, and renting paddle boards and boats. If you're in the mood for art, the Haus am Waldsee, a museum in an English countryside-style villa, is a 15-minute walk from Schlachtensee and showcases contemporary works (entry, 9 euros). By
