To me, cars were never just cars…They always meant something special. Firstly, they are one of the most significant works of art in my life. Thanks to them I developed artistically and professionally, living the dream of working with something I’m passionate about. Appreciating cars from a design perspective combined with magnificent architecture as a playground is something I love and this provides basically the essence of Carphiles. In addition, it is through cars that I met a lot of wonderful people around the world who share this passion with me. By hosting the “Cars as a work of art” event I wanted to facilitate this philosophy and connect the community of vintage cars in a new way.

That’s why I chose this amazing venue of Berlin’s famous Wilhelm Hallen – a rapidly changing urban development in the north of the city. The venue with industrial heritage is currently being redeveloped for mixed-use – art galleries, offices, music studios, and ateliers. The place – especially in its raw condition – provided the perfect scenery for our gathering, in terms of light, space, and aesthetics.

Throughout the event, I didn’t have time to check my phone, and when I finally got to it, I was surprised at how many people had already shared their experiences. It was amazing how a friend told me: you make people contributors under the lines of Carphiles. This follows what I had in mind, people become active participants of the event, sharing their vision with my direction in between. This is why I didn’t take that many photos as you may think I did; I was talking to people most of the time, and basically enjoying the event as much as I could. [Because it also reminded me of my dream as a child to play with cars, just parking them in different ways, it now became a reality.

Here are some descriptions of my idea behind the setup for the Cars as work of art exhibition at Wilhelm Hallen: 

Hall B: The Berlinetta Hall 

My aim here was to combine a period-correct synthesizer music installation by Martin, with one of the most beautiful examples of coupés, that can be seen from different perspectives. In every corner, every door, there was the Carphiles touch!  

Hall C: The Carphiles Hall 

This place is the playground, the combination of raw industrial elements with the perfection of the most beautiful European cars. The music that was in the background was my constant inspiration for my everyday work life. Roisin Murphy, Sade, Paradis, Steve Monite, Soulwax, Wham! and many others…

Every car owner had its own “moment” during this event. Of course, the Testarossa with the smoke, the music in the background, and the owner who was proudly opening the car to the guests was the main topic of Hall B. The star at Hall C was the Stratos on the black sand.

Days prior to the event I constantly said to people that I plan to place the car there and to finally see it on the spot was a complete dream come true. As well as one particular car that had a designated room: The Messerschmitt Tiger Roadster (the only left of 23 Build Messerschmitt Tiger Roadster). In total only 320 Tiger produced. 120 known and listed in the famous Global Messerschmitt Tiger Register.

There was also a hall where I showcased my favorite photos, which is one of the very first exhibitions I ever did. 

Furthermore, I combined the venue with my 30th birthday, which I thought was the perfect location (because of these times). Plus it was the first time I connected my non-car friends with my car-friends/work – it was an amazing experience to see all people together enjoying themselves in this exceptional setup.

Of course, I want to say thank you:

First of all to all owners who brought their car very punctually and made this event special and unique. Everyone was so happy and excited, as well to see how the cars came “clean and shiny” exactly how I asked for this in the invite. 

Special thanks to the Wilhelm Hallen team for letting me express this passion and love for cars! 

And needless to say many thanks to all my friends who made this event possible: Henry, Martin, Juan Camilo, Michael, Stella, Chloe, Mica, and Majo. Without you it still would have been a dream now.

Looking forward to the next one!

Many of the photos were taken by the most amazing photographer and friend @juancamiloberlin