Director, Glenn Lowry: Shortly after Genzken made her New York installation Fuck the Bauhaus, she created this sister-series for Berlin, where she settled permanently in 1995. Curator Laura Hoptman.
Curator, Laura Hoptman: The series of sculptures called New Buildings for Berlin are based on a boilerplate notion of what a skyscraper could be in the eye of a utopian European modernist – that is to say, they are sleek, reflective, soaring verticals. That said, if you look closely at these shiny glass maquette-like objects, they are as jury-rigged as those in Fuck the Bauhaus, New Buildings for New York. In a way, these buildings are deceptions, more like stage sets than they are buildings for the ages.
Glenn Lowry: In this sense, the series reflects Genzken's conviction that Berlin's newest buildings had missed a significant opportunity.
Laura Hoptman: Berlin in 2001 was going through a total renovation in terms of architecture. There was building everywhere and, specifically, the building of skyscrapers.
Genzken, who is so sensitive to the architectural qualities of a city, was keenly disappointed, particularly with the commercial complexes that sprung up around historically significant areas, like the Potsdamer Platz. These are buildings that Genzken has commented are created of the cheapest and worst materials.