Deutsche Bank has finally christened its new exhibition space in the center of Berlin. Called the PalaisPopulaire and housed in the 18th century Prinzessin Palais (Princess palace) in the city’s historic center, it will present works from the bank’s collection as well as temporary exhibitions. The new arts center, which is due to open during Berlin Art Week on September 27, is three times larger than the bank’s previous art showcase space KunstHalle, which was just down the street until it closed in April.
The new PalaisPopulaire will draw on Deutsche Bank’s 50,000-strong corporate collection, which is held throughout the company’s 900 branches in 40 countries. The wider collection includes works by modern and contemporary artists as well as a part of the collection’s other main emphasis, which is on photography.
The first exhibition, “The World on Paper,” will focus on the bank’s extensive collection of paper-based works. In total, the grand opening of the palace will show around 300 highlights from the bank’s extensive collection of works on paper, which it began building in the 1970s. The show will run until January 9, 2019.
The new 3,000 square-foot arts center succeeds the bank’s KunstHalle, which was originally the Deutsche ‘Guggenheim’ until the bank’s partnership with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation ended in 2013. The PalaisPopulaire and the now-shuttered KunstHalle are both a stone’s throw from the vast new Humboldt Forum, which is ready to open in late 2019. With its prime location, the new palace is well placed to attract local and international visitors, as well as the art world.