Bye bye Mitte.. read the announcement of C/O Berlin in March 2013, when it had to leave the former imperial Postfuhramt in the Oranienburgerstrasse. Since the end of October 2014 the beloved Berlin photographic institution is back in the Amerika Haus next to the Zoologischer Garten railway station. Hello Charlottenburg!

C/O Berlin

C/O Berlin is established in 2000. Since then it exhibited many renowned national and international visual artists, including Robert Mapplethorpe, Martin Parr, Annie Leibovitz, Anton Corbijn, Karl Lagerfeld and Sybille Bergemann. Also young talents are promoted. Furthermore it organises guided tours, lectures and artist talks.

It had its first exhibitions in the Postfuhramt until it had to leave in 2001. After several years in an old foundry in the Auguststrasse it moved back to the former imperial postoffice in 2006. Although the state of the building did not meet the most modern standards of an art exhibition building, the atmosphere was great and suited perfectly for photography exhibitions. Unique was the old gymnastics hall, where you could almost smell the sweat of postmen playing basketball.

Early 2013, the building was sold and the C/O Berlin had to move out. After 1,5 years it found its new home in the Amerika Haus in Charlottenburg.

Amerika Haus

The Amerika Haus in Berlin was one of the many Amerika Houses in Germany, managed by the US to engage on relations between the US and the FRG, and to learn about American politics and culture. The design by architect Bruno Grimmek was realised between 1956 and 1957 on the occasion of the international building exhibition Interbau. It started as a light, open building, which contained a library, exhibition spaces and a cinema. Over time it gradually evolved into a fortress due to political tensions. In 2006 the institute moved to new US embassy and the building was given back to the city of Berlin.

The building has recently been renovated to get it prepared for the new exhibition venue of C/O Berlin for the coming 20 years. It got a new book store and coffee shop as well. A must-see for photography lovers! And it is located just around the corner of the Museum of Photography and close to the inspiring area around the Kantstrasse, where you can find for example gallery Camera Work and the bookshop Bücherbogen full with books about architecture, photography, art and design.

Until april 10th you can visit the three exhibitions Blow-up, about the film by Michelangelo Antonioni, Lore Krüger-A suitcase full of pictures, with photographs by the Jewish-German photographer between 1934-1944, and Niina Vatanen-Beyond the visible surface with works by the Finnish photographer.

C/O Berlin

www.co-berlin.org
Amerika Haus Hardenbergstrasse 22-24 10623 Berlin
U2 S5 S7 S75 Zoologischer Garten
Open daily 11-20
Admission 10 Euro/5 Euro
Under18 free admission
Annual ticket 40 Euro

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I really love to visit the Museum für Fotografie. Not only because -if I had the time- I could spend hours in the nice and cosey bookshop which is one of the many filials of the König Bookstore, but mainly because of the beautiful photos from Helmut Newton it exhibits.

Helmut Newton

Photographer Helmut Newton was born in 1920 as Helmut Neustädter at Innsbrucker Straße 24 in Berlin-Schöneberg. The house does not exist anymore, all is left is a plaque.
Newton started a career as a photographer in 1936. Due to political climate in Germany (he was Jewish) he left Berlin in 1938. Via Singapore, Australia (where he met his wife and photographer Alice Springs-June Newton) and London, he arrived in Paris where he worked as a fashion photographer for Vogue Magazine. Because “sex sells”, he developed his particular, controversial style marked by fashion photos with nude models, which made him world famous. Since 1981 he lived and worked with his wife in Monaco and in Los Angelos.
In 2003 he founded the Helmut Newton foundation, which aims to inherit and to promote his works and those of Alice Springs, and a permanent residence in the Museum für Fotografie in Berlin was arranged. Unfortunately he did not make it to the official opening, as in January 2004 he died after a car crash with his Cadillac on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Helmut Newton is buried next to Marlene Dietrich at the Städtischer Friedhof III in Friedenau.

Museum für Fotografie

The museum is held in a former officers mess, built in 1909, and is situated directly behind the Zoölogischer Garten Station.
The ground floor and first floor of this majestic building house the collection of the Helmut Newton foundation. It permanently shows the Helmut Newton private property, and temporary exhibitions are hold, which always have a certain link to Helmut Newton. With this enormous Helmut Newton overdosis you’d think the museum should actually be called the Helmut Newton museum. But fair enough, the Museum für Fotografie is a cooperation of the Helmut Newton Foundation and the Kunstbibliothek’s Collection of Photography, which is situated in the Kaisersaal on the second floor of the building and holds a research and documentarycenter as well. Unfortunately, the Kaisersaal is not open for visitors at the moment.

Helmut Newton Bar

After the museum the real Nelmut Newton fan visits the Helmut Newton Bar at the Gendarmenmarkt (Charlottenstrasse 57). Here you can see the largest Big Nudes photos in private property.

Museum für Fotografie

www.helmut-newton.com
Jebenstrasse 2 10623 Berlin
U2 U9 S3 S5 S7 S75 Zoölogischer Garten
U1 Kurfürstendamm
Open Tue–Fri 10–18; Sat-Sun 11-18; Thu 10–20;
Entrance fee 10 Euro (online 9 Euro)

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It’s a nice opportunity to test a new camera. Don’t forget to bring your ID in order to lend one. Afterwards you may keep the SD card with your own photos. Or you can just bring your own camera if you don’t want to queue up for one.

Opernwerkstätten building

Not only the installations by the artist, also the building itself is worth a visit. The Opernwerkstätten (opera workshop), located in the Charité area, was built in 1941 by Albert Speer and houses 18000 m2. Here, sets and costumes were constructed, serving all 3 opera houses and several theaters.
Today, the building is used for events and exhibitions like the Olympus Photography Playground.

Olympus Photography Playground

www.photographyplayground.de
Till May 25 2014
Open Daily 11-19
Opernwerkstätten, Zinnowitzer Strasse 9, Berlin-Mitte
S1 S2 S25 Nordbahnhof, U6 Naturkundemuseum

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