When you visit Berlin, one of the biggest stops on the tourist circuit is the Pergamon Museum. It’s Germany’s most touristed museum, with 1 million visitors per year! But if you go today—and for the next few years—you can visit not just one but TWO Pergamon Museums. While the historic museum building is being renovated and expanded (it was never fully renovated after being bombed in the Second World War, and didn’t even have a climate control system!) there is an interim Pergamon exhibition being shown in a new building across the street. This new building is confusingly called “Pergamon Museum. The Panorama.” This exhibition includes a Panorama by the artist Yadegar Asisi, as well as an eye-popping display of ancient art from the Greek city of Pergamon. So with one ticket, you can go into two buildings to see some spectacular stuff!
The two buildings house very different presentations, so seeing both of them gives you a look into the spectrum of possible museum display styles. The historic building (entered through the James-Simon-Galerie; see our video for tips!) houses a traditional display of the objects. Check out the photo below: neutral-colored walls, text on white paper labels, and some historic murals of the archaeological sites painted by the wife of the excavator. The objects may be fabulous—my favorite hidden gem is the subject of the next video—but the display is neutral.
In contrast, the Asisi display is theatrical! See the photo below: brightly-colored walls and lights, gilded surfaces, black floors and ceilings. The objects pop out like actors on a stage.
See much, much more in our video, and others on our YouTube channel: Click here
You visited these museums too? Leave a review! Click here for the new show with the Panorama, or here for the historic building.
