Boros Collection
Art gallery · Mitte ·
Contemporary art collection in former WWII bunker, tours required
Contemporary art collection in former WWII bunker, tours required
"Housed in a hulking five-floor concrete bunker that was successively a Nazi bunker, a Soviet prison, and an infamous nightclub, Sammlung Boros offers a uniquely immersive 90-minute tour (advance online reservations required) through an 80-room labyrinth presenting part of Christian and Karen Boros’s private contemporary art collection; the shows rotate every four years and pair startling contemporary works with the building’s hardcore, layered history." - Liz Humphreys, Krystin Arneson
"A renovated Nazi-era bunker in the now-posh Mitte district houses this private collection of contemporary art, owned by Christian and Karen Boros (who actually live in an apartment on the roof). The selection of sculpture, paintings, photographs, and installations by international artists rotate every four years, but have recently featured contemporary artists like Jean-Marie Appriou, Julian Charrière, Eliza Douglas. A guided tour across its five floors reveals not only the impressive collection but also the long history of the bunker, which was used as a Nazi air raid shelter and later became an underground techno club (you can still see vestiges of fluorescent paint in some rooms and stairwells). Tours (required) book up months in advance, so plan accordingly." - Jennifer Ceaser
"So, what’s this place about? Located in the heart of downtown Berlin, this hulking five-floor concrete Nazi bunker turned Soviet prison turned infamous nightclub is now home to one of the world’s most unique gallery experiences. The 80-room labyrinth holds part of the private collection of power couple Christian and Karen Boros, and those with advanced reservations (tip: book at least a month in advance) can enter the bunker’s meter-thick walls as part of a 90-minute immersive tour of the concrete behemoth. The exhibitions rotate every few years, but have recently featured contemporary artists like Katja Novitskova, Xe Xiangyu, and Olafur Eliasson. How’s the space? From the outside, there are no signs for the Sammlung Boros—just some arrows pointing to the entrance. As you enter, a cold, industrial energy greets you, as if to underscore the bunker’s past lives as a Soviet POW camp, fruit and vegetable storage facility, and notorious techno and fetish rave club. (Black streaks and faint graffiti, remnant from "the hardest club in the world," as it was known to hard-nosed Berliners, still line the bare concrete walls.) After removing many of the walls and ceilings, the owners have been able to use the unique space to display immersive installations and play with light and texture. The art’s the main thing, of course. How is it? The expertly curated collection presents work from international artists from 1990 to the present. In addition to displaying boldfaced artists like Ai Weiwei and Wolfgang Tillman in previous years, the Boros family also likes to champion up-and-coming talent. Their most recent collection featured works from 19 artists, including Martin Boyce, Fabian Marti, and Paulo Nazareth. Is there anything we should know before making our way in? With the exception of several “open” dates each year, you can only attend Sammlung Boros as part of a guided tour. The guides pepper each 90-minute experience with fascinating facts about the building’s previous life, steel pipes, metal doors, and Brutalist walls while also affording you time to soak in the exhibitions displayed in the airy, minimalist setting. At the end of the day, what—or who—is this place best for? Contemporary art enthusiasts will have a field day here, but even those who don’t know their Peter Piller from their Johannes Wohnseifer will marvel at the building’s history, hardcore past, and blurring of public and private space." - Eliot Stein
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