I’ve never been to the Samurai Museum, but I love everything related to swords and armor. So when my girlfriend asks if we can visit the opening of the current surrealism exhibition together, I don’t have to think twice. Samurai and surrealism? I have no idea how they fit together, but I go anyway. The exhibition, Waking Visions, has been on display since last week on the upper floor of the museum, located on Auguststraße, opposite KW. Four young female artists are showcased. If you’ve missed Zohar Fraiman’s work in recent years, there’s some catching up to do. In her pieces, she blends themes of digitalization, the internet, gender stereotypes, and the feminism that emerges from them, discharging them into layered comic-like figures that merge seamlessly with old master paintings. She presents a variety of works, but I’m especially drawn to her monochromatic blue pieces. Another thing I appreciate is detached houses as a motif. Apparently, Eliane Diur does too. Her works often depict everyday scenes set against facades. She exaggerates nuances of domesticity, confronting viewers with an uncanny familiarity. Alongside her pieces hang Yunyoung Kim’s textile works, where she weaves surreal narratives into traditional embroidery techniques, creating dream worlds that are colorful, absurd and pleasantly soft.
The discovery of the evening for me, however, is Lucia Berlanga. In her paintings and pastel-metallic ceramic works — which, at first glance, resemble plasticine — she addresses the mistreatment of women and care workers. She draws on fairy tales and myths to reflect on social narratives concerning safety, vulnerability and resistance, presenting these themes through fantastic, symbolic stories. Cute bunny-like creatures are manhandled by matte, cobalt-blue hands. I can’t take my eyes off them. I didn’t know what to expect from surrealism in the Samurai Museum, but certainly not this. On the way out, I take a moment to admire a few suits of armor. The souvenir store, with its selection of imitation samurai swords for the living room, is unfortunately already closed, so I’ll have to come back soon.
Text: Inga Krumme / Credit: Eliane Diur; Lucia Berlanga; Zohar Fraiman
Samurai Museum, Auguststr. 68, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
Waking Visions 05.02–16.03.2025
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@zoharfraiman
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