1 false 100071 Thomas Rentmeister 2009-06-19T16:46:53+02:00 It's a nice city, but I'm afraid that it might disappear. Everyone wants a piece of it. false 2009-06-19T16:49:23+02:00 2009-06-19T16:49:23+02:00 Fresh from his studies in Düsseldorf, conceptual artist Thomas Rentmeister arrived in Berlin in 1988 with a high-profile Philip Morris scholarship in hand. Later that year Rentmeister had his first solo exhibition at the now defunct Vincentz Sala Galerie, where, fresh from the fall of the Wall, East Berliners made their way to their first-ever West Berlin gallery opening. Fifteen years later, Rentmeister, who's work has been has been coined "dirty Minimalism," moved back to the once divided city only to find massive redevelopment. In his soothsaying words, he predicts that "it will take another 50 years for the city to become gritty again." A regular at many Berlin haunts, his favorite spot in the city is his Weissensee studio. He describes it as one "like you see in the movies, with beautiful rooms and lots of light." Coincidentally, the space was a former film studio, Filmstadt Weissensee, in which parts of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) was shot and Marlene Dietrich and Fritz Lang both flexed their silver screen prowess. In the footsteps of the cinematic stars and in the shadow of the socialized laundry of the DDR (which inhabited the space before the artist studios), Rentmeister has made a name for himself. While the artist celebrates exhibitions around the world, he points readers in the right direction here in Berlin. Born in Westfalen, Germany, in 1964, Thomas Rentmeister attended the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under the guidance of Günther Uecker and Alfonso Hüppi. His work has been shown around the world with notable solo exhibitions at Centraal Museum, Utrecht; Haus am Waldsee, Berlin; Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam; and Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin. Now based in Berlin, Rentmeister teaches at Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Braunschweig, and works from his Weissensee studio. 166303 302788 Location I love spending time on the water. Water is like a free space. Nothing can be built there. There’s just more imagination. /system/photos/0028/5666/1_thumb.jpg 2008-10-09T15:26:47+02:00 Alte Fischerei /twenty_five_hours/100071-Thomas-Rentmeister/locations/302788-Alte-Fischerei 166304 302773 Location I go here alone or with friends and just sit on the chairs or in the sand. There’s a lot of open space and it’s just nice to sit and watch the sunset. /system/photos/0031/1082/2007_5_g-2_thumb.jpg 2008-10-09T15:10:43+02:00 Strandbar am Weißensee /twenty_five_hours/100071-Thomas-Rentmeister/locations/302773-Strandbar-am-Weissensee 166108 302771 Location My favorite bar. For many years I have hung out here at least every other day—it's like my living room. My table: in the back, on the left side, near the bar. If it's not free, I wait until other customers leave so I can sit there. /system/photos/0032/6024/_MG_1731-4_thumb.jpg 2008-10-08T11:42:29+02:00 Hackbarth's /twenty_five_hours/100071-Thomas-Rentmeister/locations/302771-Hackbarth-s 166109 302772 Location Good food, good prices and the waiters are always friendly. /system/photos/0029/8278/_MG_1066-6_thumb.jpg 2008-10-08T11:48:44+02:00 Schwarzwaldstuben /twenty_five_hours/100071-Thomas-Rentmeister/locations/302772-Schwarzwaldstuben 166114 302774 Location I come here to look at the buildings. On Sundays I drive around the city and when it's a little misty, it's really beautiful. /system/photos/0029/1804/hs_thumb.jpg 2009-06-19T11:03:18+02:00 Hufeisensiedlung /twenty_five_hours/100071-Thomas-Rentmeister/locations/302774-Hufeisensiedlung 166128 302776 Location My studio is a five minute walk from here. I usually like to jog around the lake three times, though I should do it more often than I have been. Otherwise, I just like to sit on a bench and read. /system/photos/0029/1824/mplabs_thumb.jpg 2008-10-09T15:10:57+02:00 Weißer See /twenty_five_hours/100071-Thomas-Rentmeister/locations/302776-Weisser-See 166107 455 Location I've seen many shows here including the Magnetic Fields and Bonnie Prince Billy. The ambiance of the church makes the music all the more special. /system/photos/0000/5540/passionskirche_1_thumb.jpg 2008-10-08T11:33:52+02:00 Passionskirche /twenty_five_hours/100071-Thomas-Rentmeister/locations/455-Passionskirche 166112 451 Location I climb over the fence and I look at the rotting plastic dinosaurs. You're not allowed to enter and the guards chase you away with dogs but it's really worth it. /system/photos/0025/8145/spreep2_thumb.jpg 2008-10-08T11:53:51+02:00 Spreepark /twenty_five_hours/100071-Thomas-Rentmeister/locations/451-Spreepark 490325 Courtesy of Thomas Rentmeister /system/photos/0049/0325/_3.jpg