I believe that Berlin is the world capital of culture and art. This city lives in the now, constantly pushing the boundaries of what comes next in human cultural heritage – not stuck in replicating the past. Take a strall through the city and you see it: a raw, honest take on what art is today. It’s moving. It’s beautiful.
I keep wondering – why don’t we see more modern art around us? We have tools today to create immersive works that combine visual art, sound, motion – tools for storytelling that evoke complex, layered emotion. Modern art venues in Berlin show it better than any else. So why are we still holding back?
But here’s what puzzles me. First, why do we separate classic from modern art like they can’t coexist? Why are galleries still so hesitant to introduce modern, sensory-rich experiences into spaces traditionally reserved for “old masters”? Shouldn’t they stand side by side?
Second, why do we limit modern art to galleries in the first place? There’s so much potential in using venues like outing, hospitality, public spaces to host and elevate new forms of art. And XR can be a bridge here. I don’t even mean headsets necessarily. Most of us already carry the perfect XR device: our phones. They’re more than capable windows into a hybrid reality where physical space meets digital expression. So think: historical sites could be expanded to show the place through the centuries. Bars could feature interactive multiplayer games. Streets could help one gamify the daily commute – turning mundane routines into playful, artistic experiences. XR is the enabler here.
Big shoutout to some people I know doing amazing things in this space: Vladimir Storm, Severin Zugmayer, Gregor Finger. These guys really see this like no one else, and they’re doing so many cool things with this vision.
I’m curious to hear from others too. What do you think? Is modern art under-created and under-represented?