Artists have a magical ability to transform our imagination and expectations by creating unique experiences that redefine every conception of what’s possible.
It’s something that takes time and hard work. But, most importantly artists need a place where creativity and new ideas can be born, evolve, and remixed.
One such place existed for a short time in a 500 square meter space on the 9th floor of a 1980s German Democratic Republic high-rise at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany.
MADE Space was a destination dreamed up by tadiROCK, a self-described ‘pop art’ artist, and Nico Zeh, a brilliant ‘creative connector’ and marketing strategist.
When Sophie Lovell interviewed the founders for an article in the design magazine Wallpaper* they said that their goal for MADE Space was to invite creative artists to “step outside their comfort zones and work with people from other genres to create something they have never done before.”
The duo’s dream became a reality through the support of the Pernod Ricard Group. MADE opened in 2010 and, over the four years that followed, provided a home for artists to work in residence, collaborate, and show their work.
The MADE gallery was a highly adaptive space designed to work well for every artist. The gallery featured movable walls, furniture on wheels, and an array of 240 overhead industrial lamps that could be adjusted to cast a broad range of colors at varying levels of brightness.
One of our favorite MADE events took place in April 2011 when songwriter Aloe Blacc, violinist and composer Mihalj “Miki” Kekenj, and painter Jaybo leveraged the “talent and experience from their respective creative disciplines to create…a moment.” The trio presented an evening filled with wonderful music and performance as well as a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” unlike any other ever heard.
MADE presented many other unique experiences like this featuring artists like Ebon Heath, Stuart Wood, Jonathan Mannion, and Yohji Yamamoto and musicians like Ólafur Arnalds, Erykah Badu, David LaChappelle, and Moby.
As the old proverb says, “all good things must come to an end.” When MADE closed in 2014, they shared a a retrospective titled “Goodbye Film,” which shared highlights of the events and experiences hosted at MADE over the previous four years.
We suspect that the work, exhibitions, and performances that happened because of MADE will live on in digital form online and inspire a new generation of creatives, musicians, and artists to gather, collaborate, and produce new and amazing things.
