{Germany} #emptykunstgewerbemuseum

100 Museums Challenge: Museum No.73

Last Sunday, I was lucky enough to join an #instawalk around the #emptykunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin, after having won a spot for it through an Instagram competition. If I’m talking in riddles to you, let me explain. An instawalk is an event where you go around together and post pictures on Instagram along the way. And an emptywalk is one, where you visit somewhere after hours after all the other visitors have gone. In this case, we were meeting at the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Engl: Museum of Decorative Arts), which I have written about in more depth before, so I just wanted to share some pictures from the evening with you.

We spent the first hour outside, walking around the exterior of the building. Despite having worked near the Kulturforum, where the museum is located, for two years I had never been round the back of the museum before. A whole urban jungle awaited us!

Then, when all the other visitors had left the building, we could finally go inside! The bold signage helps a lot with orientation.

The ‘Alte Kunst’ (Old Art) galleries: Middle Ages & Renaissance

Silver, gilded elephant vessel from Nuremberg. Around 1600.

Fantastical animal jug, mid 16th century.

The ‘Design’ gallery

No design collection would be complete without some chairs.

Some inspiration for your next living room makeover: ‘HF1’ TV, 1958 (the world’s first to have a front made of synthetic materials); coffee table & chair, 1957; bar trolley, 1956. All by Herbert Hirche.

The ‘Mode’ (Fashion) gallery

White Summer Ensemble, France/England, around 1866

So glad we’ve moved on from this!! (late 19th century)

Evening gown ‘Boissy’, Paris 1912

Fabulous hat!! Evening turban with feather trimming, Paris 1910-12

The ‘Neue Kunst’ (New Art) galleries: Barock, Rococo, Classicism, Art Nouveau & Art Deco

This beautiful stained glass window is by Max Pechstein, Berlin 1911/13

Amazing painted cabinet! Southern Netherlands, late 17th century.

Detail from the inside of a bowl

If the 1950s living room decor from the design gallery didn’t take your fancy, maybe this is more your style (Milan, around 1890)

Time is up! After a whopping three hours in total, the #emptykunstgewerbemuseum event came to an end. I hope you have enjoyed the photos, and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for your regular dose of museum pics!