me Collectors Room Berlin

The me Collectors Room stands in Berlin’s Mitte district on Auguststrasse, a street known for its concentration of galleries. The building itself was designed by Düttmann + Kleymann to house a private art foundation created by Thomas Olbricht. Inside, two floors provide space for exhibitions, a shop, a café and even residential apartments. The name ‘me’ refers to ‘moving energies’, reflecting the dynamic nature of the art shown. Olbricht, an endocrinologist and heir to the Wella hair-care fortune, opened the space in May 2010. The venue is worth visiting because it displays Olbricht’s vast collection alongside loans from other private collectors. His holdings include several thousand works by 250 artists such as Gerhard Richter, Cindy Sherman and Jonas Burgert. A permanent cabinet of curiosities features more than 200 Renaissance and Baroque objects. Each year the gallery stages around three temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. The first show in 2010 featured equal numbers of works by female and male artists. Visitors find a carefully arranged sequence of rooms on both floors. The permanent Wunderkammer occupies dedicated gallery space with historic artefacts. Changing exhibitions occupy the main halls, each curated to highlight different themes or artists. The café on the ground floor offers a place to pause between viewing artworks. Outside, Auguststrasse remains one of Berlin’s most active art neighbourhoods, with many nearby galleries and studios.