Above: Thomas Scheibitz, "Tinte und Zucker," 2007; "Carlo Crivelli," 2006

Berlin’s most atmospheric venue for contemporary art is the Sammlung Boros, housed in a 1942 Albert Speer-designed bunker with an unexpected Renaissance palazzo-style exterior. Christian and Karen Boros purchased this unusual building to house their art collection, which contains pieces dating from 1990 to the present. They also built a penthouse for themselves on the bunker’s roof! Knowledgeable guides take groups of up to 12 people through the several floors of concrete-walled exhibition space, ensuring that visitors can contemplate the art in relative peace. Some works, such as Wolfgang Tillmans’ carefully composed snapshot-like photos and Ai Weiwei’s camphor wood tree sculpture, were by artists familiar to me. Others, such as the self-destructive sculptures of Berlin artist Michael Sailstorfer, were a revelation. Reserve tickets through the collection’s website well in advance. sammlung-boros.de

Join Andrew Harper today to continue reading our exclusive content.