Basim Magdy
The inaugural show of Deutsche Bank’s brand new art space, PalaisPopulaire, spreads over three floors, with 300 works from post-war Modernism to the era of digital technologies, and even to the graphic novel. Each floor is given a theme, starting with abstraction on paper, continuing with artistic explorations of the body and identity and ending with work addressing urban subjects and technology. With this large display, it is easy to get overwhelmed and absorbed by some otherwise rarely accessible works – a John Cage pencil drawing, for example – as well as the sudden dialogue between individual pieces. Gerhard Richter and Joan Mitchell represent abstract, gestural painting, alongside works by Lorna Simpson or Maria Lassnig. An entire section is dedicated to early drawings and watercolours by Joseph Beuys, the enjoyment of which is disrupted by the sheer number of hovering security guards. For Deutsche Bank, PalaisPopulaire clearly is a PR project, but this strong opening seems to promise an exciting new cultural space in Berlin.
Through Jan 7
