Getting your nails done is not exactly a priority in Berlin – this poor but sexy city struggles to afford it’s next Sternberg, let alone an extravagant manicure. If you’re feeling flush, however, and want to break the mold, head down to Galerie Henrik Springmann between 3 and 8pm for a pop-up nail art session.

This unusual art event ties in with the gallery’s current show “Imperial Nail Salon” by Chicago-based artist Dzine. The exhibition allows Dzine to reminisce about his mother’s bootleg nail salon in his childhood home, which was her resourceful way to earn a living in America when jobs for Puerto Rican immigrants were scarce. The aesthetic of the exhibition captures his world perfectly – from the outside I initially thought that the gallery was a nail salon, and only after some curious investigating found out otherwise.

Laura-Marie Hilderbrandt admiring an artwork at Galerie Henrik Springmann. Photo: Chris Phillips 

Inside the exhibition there are paintings adorned with costume jewellery, neon signage, furnishings, and more bling than in EastEnder’s star Pat Butcher’s Earring collection. Diamanté glitters from every surface and lurid yellows, pinks and purples burn your iris, one room even bathed in UV light emanating from a giant purple Gucci Mandala.

 Up-close and personal with a blinging piece of art at Galerie Henrik Springmann. Photo: Chris Phillips 

Also worth mentioning in one of the other rooms is the installation/furnishing “Voodoo” – quite possibly one of the most gloriously tacky objects I have ever seen. Made up of a bike frame, Swarovski crystals, mirror, silk flowers and 24kt gold plating, the work is hideously good. Don’t take our word for it though – go and visit this glamourous world for yourself, and get your nails done whilst you’re there.  

• Galerie Henrik Springmann – “Imperial Nail Salon” Pop-up Nail Art Event – Saturday November 17 th – 3-8pm [Price range of works 3,500 euros]

Article by Marie J Burrows 

Read our exclusive Artletter

Painting by Catrin Walz Stein

Subscribe to receive the most awe-inspiring stories from ArtParasites, only available by ArtLetter.

Be the first to write a comment.