The Werkbundarchiv is one of those Berlin museums that, despite its long history and universal collection concept, is still considered an insider tip. For 50 years, the “Museum der Dinge” has dedicated itself to a topic closer to people than almost any other: the product culture of the 20th and 21st centuries. Based on the archive of the Deutscher Werkbund — an association of artists, entrepreneurs and cultural politicians founded around 1907 — the focus is not on paintings and high culture, but on everyday objects. From design objects to banal kitsch, everything that represents society at another time is represented in equal measure. After seven months of closure, the Werkbundarchiv has found a new home. Even though the new permanent exhibition will not officially open until November, the museum is already celebrating the move from Kreuzberg to Mitte with a special exhibition that is well worth visiting.
The starting point for this exhibition is the museum’s situation: the change of location was not voluntary. After a real estate fund terminated the contract for the museum space in Kreuzberg, the team needed to look for a new premises. “Profitopolis” deals with the question of how land speculation has changed cities (Berlin in particular). Building on two previous exhibitions from the 1970s, the team traces the urban development of the last 100 years with archival material such as posters, books and objects. The exhibits, including a wonderful “Anti-Monopoly board game”, are complemented by artistic works. Daniela Brahm, who co-founded the flagship project ExRotaprint in Wedding, and Mirja Busch, known for her archive of rain puddles, are also taking part. The curators take us on a journey through time along citizens’ initiatives, traffic mise-en-scènes, and environmentally friendly construction, at the end of which the question arises: Who owns the city and how can it be reclaimed?
Text: Laura Storfner / Credit: JF, Werkbundarchiv, Museum der Dinge
Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge, Leipziger Str.54, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
“Profitopolis or the Condition of the City” until 28.02.2025. The new permanent exhibition opens on 08.11.2024.
