A well-chosen frame protects, preserves and focuses artwork. Anyone who has ever wanted to put a photograph, print or drawing behind glass knows the dilemma: how does one decide on the perfect combination of moulding, glass and mat from the endless possibilities? That’s where expert advice helps, and I’ve been finding exactly that for a year at Ecke & Kante, a young framing studio whose very name promises a touch of Berlin cleverness. In the former headquarters of the East German news agency, just across from Soho House, founders Philipp König and André Simonow have set up their workshop on the fourth floor. In the loft-like rooms, with the comforting scent of wood in the air, the Fernsehturm seemingly within reach, and trams gliding endlessly past, a very pleasant Berlin urban feeling sets in. This time, I brought a black-and-white photograph in for a special frame. André, who is also a photographer, recommended a Dutch-style moulding with dark brown tones that beautifully accentuate the greys. That both founders are artists themselves — André studied photography at Ostkreuz; Philipp studied art at Weissensee — is evident from the preliminary discussions. André is known among connoisseurs for his charming Simonow collection and runs the exhibition space Paintshop at Hermannplatz. Philipp captures the world with clever drawings, which he regularly shares on Instagram.
Text & Photos: Catherine Peter
Catherine Peter is a photographer and photo editor for Weltkunst magazine. In 2021, she moved from Paris to Berlin and has been happily living in this big, strange city ever since.
Ecke & Kante, Mollstr.1, 10178 Berlin–Mitte; map
@ecke_und_kante_bilderrahmen
@andre_simonow
@sammlung_simonow
@philking77
@paintshop.berlin
