Designpanoptikum - Surreal Museum for Industrial Objects

At first glance, the design panopticon looks like an odd cabinet of horrors. At second glance, however, it reveals a curious hodgepodge of fascinating objects.

On April 24, the nationwide lockdown law ("emergency brake") took effect in Berlin: cultural and leisure venues must remain closed from this date. Galleries may remain open under strict conditions. Customers must show a current negative corona test. Further information »

Without a doubt, the surreal Museum of Industrial Objects is a curiosity in Berlin's museum landscape. Most of the objects on display initially evoke fear or horror in visitors, or at least perplexity. Brachial-looking metal objects, coffin-like constructs and bizarre industrial knick-knacks turn out to be quite normal utilitarian objects from times gone by. Prostheses, an iron lung, a dissection table for small animals and an ejector seat are only a small selection of the exhibits.

Form follows function

Common to all the objects shown is that their design is strictly based on functionality and not on aesthetic sensibility. Supposed instruments of torture turn out on closer inspection to be medical devices or technical components, for example. The design of the exhibition differs from classical museum concepts: the objects are arranged in a peculiar, artistic way and sometimes seemingly without concept, so that visitors could imagine themselves on the set of Metropolis.

If you are lucky, you will find museum director and photographer Vlad Korneev in a chatty mood. He discovered and bought all the objects himself. Accordingly, he can tell exciting and entertaining anecdotes about the Designpanoptikum and the objects on display.