Part of Hamburg’s museum mile, these two beautiful structures were built between 1911 and 1913 as market halls. The hall for contemporary art is airy and light and welcoming despite its industrial bones. It is often used for site specific installations; when I was last there, Anthony Gormley exposited a project, Field Horizons, where a mirrored horizontal surface had been suspended across the length and with of the hall. Clad in socks, you could walk and slightly swing in space with light reflecting all around you. It was magical.

If you are lucky enough to travel to Hamburg by May 14th, you can attend the opening of http://www.deichtorhallen.de/index.php?id=478&L=1 (link in english) Andreas Slominski’s new installation, The O of the Door. The German title is Das Ü des Türstehers (the doorman, or bouncer, NOT the door!) But independent of lazy translation, I can’t figure out for the life of me what that title has to do with the content of the exhibit  – 100 portable toilet stalls symbolizing urban development – and, for that matter what do they have to do with the growth of our cities? I would probably know more if I could visit and discover the association between port-a-potties and art. I will report in time.

The weblink to the show, by the way, cracked me up – note that the sensibilities of the hanseatic burghers are spared from having to look at urinals – the cover photo shows some plastic tidbits instead.  I am attaching one of my favorite clips of all times that might share my sentiments – the inimitable Molly Ivins on “Ort”  as they call art in Texas.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKckRXKRmRg