Remake Berlin

by László F. Földényi, Thomas Kapielski, Monika Maron

The Old Berlin is lost, as would be any city that has been destroyed more than once. No "Remake" can change this. What then is the new Berlin? Only one thing is certain, that Berlin, today, can only be described as a stringing together of fast-changing phenomena. A city suspended amidst massive developments, Berlin now exists as a metaphor for the unknown. Remake Berlin attempts to do the impossible, to pull together a visual and textual portrait of this unknown city, through the combined imaginations and documentary explorations of eight artists and six writers, men and women, national and international, locals and visitors. They approach the city in a careful way, laconically recording its violent geographies, ironically commenting on the peculiarities of its architecture and population, and finally forming a constructive, exploratory array of subjective glances which, together, draw up a possible portrait of a new Berlin.

236 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2002

About the author

László F. Földényi is professor and chair in the theory of art at the University of Theatre, Film, and Television, Budapest, and a member of the German Academy. He has written numerous award-winning books and lives in Budapest.