Over Half Term the Art department’s trip to Berlin was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The span of culture and wide range of styles displayed in the museums that we visited was amazing, and widened my interest and knowledge about the variety of art history.
The Neues Museum focuses on art from prehistoric and protohistoric cultures, while the Gemalde Gallery collects European paintings from the 15th to the 18th century. These exhibits were not usually museums that I would be inclined to visit, but I was very thankful that I did, as they provided an insightful understanding of the evolution of art history.
The most enjoyable visit for me was our walk along the East Side Gallery. Having studied the Berlin wall in History, I was very interested in how the wall had been reinvented as an expression of 20th century art. At 1.3 kilometres, it is the longest outdoor gallery in the world, covered in street art by 118 artists from 21 countries. It truly was amazing to see all the different artistic styles displayed on one wall.
Beyond the galleries we also visited the cultural highlights of Berlin, such as the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust memorial. One site that stood out was our visit to the top of the Victory Column where we could see across Berlin and appreciate the scale of the city’s cultural heritage.
Jemima (K)
