Matilde Velho Cabral
Right around Hackescher Markt, the touristy yet hip area in Berlin Mitte, lies Haus Schwarzenberg, an unpretentious space where art and creativity are allowed to flourish.
Covered in graffiti, paintings and strange iron objects, in Haus Schwarzenberg you are likely to get lost in a bizarre maze of doors that give way to varied and fascinating attractions: from a museum dedicated Anne Frank’s feelings to an old workshop for the blind, here you can easily spend a whole day without getting bored. Thus, it is in one of those doors that a (not so) well-kept secret is hiding; a parallel electronic universe where metal monster figures come to life to dance your troubles away– Monsterkabinett.
Before entering into the metal abyss of insanity I confess I had high expectations; from what I read on the internet and on the Haus Schwarzenberg website itself, Monsterkabinnet sounded like an unparalleled exhibition, a sample of Berlin’s underground world that would promise to be a complete sensory experience. However, the guided visit ended up looking more like a joke than an actual artistic journey. As I went down the stairs that led to the exhibition, which according to the guide and artist himself would last about 20 minutes, smoke began to fill the room as we gather around one of the first monster inhabitants – and disappointment began to settle in. From room to room (in a total of more or less 4 rooms) we came across different pneumatically powered mechanical monsters, which in my opinion, were just interesting creations to look at for about 5 minutes. Paying 8 euros to do so (6 for students)? Way too much.
The guide really tried to make the exhibition more interesting, by giving the creatures life through his dramatic energy, but at a certain point he just seemed an overly-excited kid who did not get dessert at the end of his meal. After the show he also tried to sell his merchandise and from furry monster wallets to tarot cards with his face on, it was a tough choice to make. Do not get me wrong; I love surreal surroundings and original art shows but “Monsterkabinett” was too much of a bad taste joke.
However, if you are still interested in experiencing it through your own eyes here are the opening hours:
Thursday, hourly shows starting 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Friday and Saturday, hourly shows starting 4:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Last show always at 9:30