A SHELTER OR A SHRINE?

You usually find that different people or sources give similar recommendations about what to do when you visit Berlin. That said, I think Bunker Berlin is definitely the place that should be at the top of your “places to visit” list even though many people don’t know about it.

It all began when I accidentally discovered this place and made a tour reservation. I did not have much to expect since I haven’t heard any recommendations about the place. I am glad that I did not, because I was captured by a childish excitement as soon as I saw the building. It is almost impossible to imagine what’s waiting you behind this jungle of concrete which seems nothing more than a rough and gross construction. The history behind this building and the special collection it accommodates are very interesting though.

“Bunker Berlin” was originally built as an air-raid shelter during the Nazi period, and later used for different purposes. It was used as a place for prisoners of war, a storehouse for tropical fruits, a club of techno music and fetish parties, an area for the erotic fair “Sexperimenta” or various art exhibitions. It has been a host for the living space of Boros family and their special art collection since 2003.

You lose contact with the outer world once you go into this shelter which has been turned into a 3000 square meter public exhibition area. There are guides who explain about the artworks as you walk between the grey concrete walls in this massive construction. You leave the building with a mixed feeling of joy and perplexity once the tour is over.

You can see the works of artists like Martin Boyce, Andreas Eriksson, Guan Xiao, He Xiangyu, Uwe Henneken, Yngve Holen, Sergej Jensen, Daniel Josefsohn, Friedrich Kunath, Michel Majerus, Fabian Marti, Kris Martin, Justin Matherly, Paulo Nazareth, Peter Piller, Katja Novitskova, Pamela Rosenkranz, Avery Singer, Johannes Wohnseifer in the current exhibition called Bunker #3.

I suggest that you make a tour reservation at least a few weeks before and make sure that you engrave this unforgettable experience in your memory.

https://www.sammlung-boros.de/boros-collection.html?L=1