Postfuhramt, Exhibition Centre for Photography

Postfuhramt building was constructed in the 1875–1881 by Wilhelm Tuckermann according to the plans of Carl Schwatlo. In its long history it was used not only as a head post office. Post and telegraph school, receiving centre for packages, apartments provided by the employer and even machines operating for the pipe mail system used to be situated in this building. The Postfuhramt was seriously damaged during the Second World War and partially restored in the years 1973-1989. From the year 1997 it has been used as the exhibition centre. And that’s what it is now – the Exhibition Centre for Photography.

I went there anticipating the thrill I would feel experiencing the “In Principio” – series of pictures by Sebastião Salgado, the photographer I adore. Unexpectedly this time his work didn’t touch my heart. Was it because the project was sponsored by the Illy coffee that the hard work wasn’t shown as hard as it could have? Anyway the exhibition of the works of Leonard Freed occupying most of the rooms has totally made it up. Pictures of this patient photo hunter, politically and humanly engaged person and a true artist have fascinated me.

And now to the point of this post: the interior of the Postfuhramt is not what you expect to see keeping in mind its pretty clean facade. The peeling walls provocatively exposing layers of the paint they where wearing for last decades, crumbling stucco, and worn-out doors create a scary and enchanting atmosphere turning time into something almost material. At a second glance the biggest exhibition room proved to be a former sport hall with one of the hoops still fixed to the wall. I guess you have to be quite a pervert to see the beauty of this collapsing block of history but I swear I loved it! Definitely worth a visit.

P.S.

Placed on the floor plates with the names force all shortsighted people to make a low bow in front of every photograph. I think it has a deep philosophic sense.

Postfuhramt Oranienburger Straße/ Tucholskystraße 10117 Berlin
http://www.co-berlin.info/co-neu/web/CO_Berlin/start.php