Christopher Lehmpfuhl: Schlossplatz in Translation

Hardcover | 24.13 x 2.01 x 30.18 cm | 168 pp

Prestel | 2021 | 9783791378411 

The Berlin painter Christopher Lehmpfuhl (b. 1972) has been occupied with the urban transformation at Berlin's Schlossplatz for over a decade. His 126 portraits of this historic Mitte district make the city's dynamic changes visible - from the removal
of the Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic) to the reconstruction of the Berlin Palace and the opening of the Humboldt Forum. In the tradition of plein air painting, all of his large-scale paintings were created on the site of the activity they depict.

This richly illustrated volume brings together all the crucial building stages Lehmpfuhl recorded in his large-format oil paintings, and also shows the intermediate phases such as the erection of the Humboldt Box, the building and dismantling of the Temporäre Kunsthalle (Temporary Kunsthalle) and the emergence of the large green spaces with their wooden boardwalks on the site of the Palast der Republik.

Lehmpfuhl painted in every kind of weather, and the paintings thick and swirling strokes reflect the energy of a city in constant flux. Behind-the-scenes photos of Lehmpfuhl at work demonstrate his signature technique applying large amounts of paint by hand directly onto the canvas and reveal the sheer physicality of his effort. The result is a love letter to Berlin, and a unique artistic glimpse into the laborious process of reimagining and rebuilding a city.