The triumphal march of the wine god Bacchus is just as old as humanity itself. The youngest triumph of Bacchus can be experienced on the Berlin Gendarmenmarkt.
There, in the Gendarmerie, one of the most spectacular restaurants in the capital city, the five-meter-high and fourteen-meter-broad commissioned piece sits enthroned, made by the Canadian artist Jean-Yves Klein and inspired by the painting “The Triumph of Bacchus” by Diego Velázquez in the 17th century.
In the center of the painting made of larch wood, the observing connoisseur of the Berlin gastronomy scene can just assume that the scenery in the painting depicts the features of the Gendarmerie owners Josef Laggner, Lutter, Wegner and Sturmhaube. The mere preparation and the planning of Klein’s XXL masterpiece took months. Now the painting embellishes the walls of the Gendarmerie, inspiring its guests to experience the wonderfulness of the wine and the dishes like Upper-Bavarian wagyu. For the making of the masterpiece which praises induldence and enjoyment, Klein rented a hall and got an extensive selection of axes apart from a few motor saw to process wood.
Nonetheless, the grandiose and longest Bar in Berlin positioned in the center of the dining hall is as spectacular and ambitious as Klein’s piece of art about the enjoyment of wine and food. You should definitely not miss these spectacles if you pay the Gendarmerie a visit. JW
Here is a short video about the creation of the artwork: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAtTmhg-o1w
Copyright: Readthetrieb
