06.26.2012 Me Gallery Collector's Room, Selim Varol Art & Toys

If you think you're an avid toy collector, this guy's collection will seriously make you think yours look like a peanut. Selim Varol's got almost everything. I say almost because he's missing a few pieces like the hunting animals (IWG Rocketworld), and the cat space man (sentry), and anything friends with you (wish come true), and a lot of Japanese ones. Arguably, he's mostly into the North American/European urban vinyl toys, and he holds the current title of kid with the most toys so you have to hand it to him, his collection is still super awesome.

This is the second time going to the Me Gallery and as I try to avoid going to the same places twice in Berlin (because I have a limited time) this was an exhibition I couldn't say no to. I mean, come on, it's TOYS. Selim Varol (the collector) has been collecting toys and art since he was a kid and his collection is so impressive half the time artists just give him free stuff or make custom pieces just for his stash. You can imagine his house is decked out in art and toys so while the exhibition is running, his house will be feeling bare. Since I could never afford a fraction of what he owns, I took a lot of pictures.

Blek le rat

Shepard Fairey

1. Faile, Saber,                                                                                                                                             2. Shepard Fairey

Zevs, Phil Frost

1. ?                                                                                                           2. Herakut

1.Selim's desk,                                                                                                                                                  2. MJ

1. Cowboy rabbit,                                                                                                                                                2. Os Gemeos

Yoshitomo Nara

Audrey Kawasaki

1. Banksy,                                                                                                              2. D*Face

D*Face

D*Face

1. Shepard Fairey                                                                                                                                     2. ?

Be@rbrick boat

kaws

Takeshi Murakami

Blah Print Radio

kaws

1. Kaws,                                                                            2. Everything                                                                    3. Faile

1. Beejoir,                                                                                                       2. pills

RYCA

Last Kiss Josh Keyes

Wunderkammer Olbricht

1.                                                                                 2. Girl holding a mini girl in a pot, and tofu head,                                       3. Giraffe!

Any friend of Totoro is a friend of mine!

Gloomy bear

1. Ahhhhhh,                                                                                                                             2. Waaahhhh

pink dog on godzilla

kill your timid notion

1.?                                                                                        2. Treeson                                                                      3.?

1. famous people,                                                                                      2. Smorking labbit in glam

overly excited

Broken Heroes - Patricia Waller

Then we walked by this strange sight. It's currently the Berlin Biennale which means local art galleries curated and created by local artists are all holding temporary exhibitions and most of them are for free. I didn't actively pursue it because sometimes I just don't get contemporary art, but I stumbled across this one.

The exhibit is titled Broken Heroes, and it is a depressing look at pop culture icons as a reflection of the ideal world of media and advertising vs reality. In the same vein, the celebrity substitutes for the traditional hero. Anyway, it was strange, a little funny, but mostly discomforting because I enjoy my childhood characters the way they are.

Made a stop at a tres cool studio called llot llov, which is voll toll backwards, which is very cool. They are a team of three designers plus some interns in the hipster section of Berlin. The last time we visited their showroom was closed (it's literally just a room) so we made a point to visit here this time.

Writing on a Clark, sitting on a Todd, a fun table for you to push everything to the end and let it catch.

yogurt ice cream > double cream ice cream. Yes, I said it.