Facing Threats BMW Guggenheim Lab Swerves Away from Berlin
While the commercialization of museums raises eyebrows in some circles in America, in Germany such criticism is much more forceful and threatening. Activist groups have derailed the planned May 24th opening in Berlin of the BMW Guggenheim lab, according to Bloomberg News. They argued that the mobile lab–which debuted in New York and is traveling the globe, all bankrolled by the German luxury carmaker–would accelerate the gentrification of the Kreuzberg district. The Guggenheim has faced criticism for its sponsors and activities many times before, so this episode is not likely to spur much institutional reflection. According to the report, the Museum is currently shopping for a new host city.
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In fact there were no threats or threats of violence announced by left-wing activists. Neither against the lab nor against people.
Stefan Redlich, spokesperson of the responsible LKA police department Berlin denied, that there had been calls for violence. He said, they (the police) only published an evaluation of endangerments based on political campaigning against the LAB on different activsts* internet websites. Because of the sharp language of criticism used on these websites, police expects some minor attacks like paint bombs.
Lutz Redlich (BMW Guggenheim Lab) pointed out that there were no theats of violence against him, nor has he been attacked. (Spiegel Online (german) http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/0,1518,822478,00.html)
On Monday, Berlin secretary of the Interior, Frank Henkel, was the first to identify “left-wing extremists”*s threats as the reason for the BMW Guggenheim Lab*s failure in Kreuzberg. He refered to the Guggenheim press release which for its part refered to the threat analysis made by the police.