Cafe Silberstein / Bar ambulance

Café Silberstein was one of Berlin’s essential venues for art and music in the early post-Wall years. It opened in Berlin-Mitte at the start of the wild 1990s, quickly becoming a meeting point for artists, musicians, and creatives. Figures such as Susanne Rast, Rolf Biebl, Sabine Herrmann, and Klaus Killisch left their mark on the café’s identity through their art. The distinctive iron furniture, designed by Sangare Siemsen and Lutz Penndorf, became a visual trademark — itself inspired by an exhibition by Susanne Rast at the Wilfriede Maaß gallery, where Dirk Wunderlich had welded iron furniture to display ceramic works.

Night after night, DJs filled Silberstein with music. Ed 2000 ran his office from the café and curated the musical program. Thanks to Sangare, I had the chance to regularly show large-format paintings at Silberstein, becoming part of its dynamic cultural scene.

A decade later, Bar Ambulance opened next door. Sangare invited me to create a ceiling piece using LPs from his early ’90s DJ sets — a project that marked the beginning of my collage-based painting practice. Punk pop on canvas.

Over time, Silberstein evolved constantly, responding to new ideas and opportunities. This adaptability was visible in the shifting furniture and in ventures like a Japanese restaurant that once occupied the space. Perhaps it was this openness to change that allowed Silberstein to remain a central place in Mitte for two decades.

Yet, like many creative enclaves in Berlin, it faced the pressures of a changing city. As Berlin became more expensive and commercialized, the very artists and free spirits who had shaped its culture were gradually pushed out. In 2011, after 20 years, Café Silberstein and Bar Ambulance closed their doors for good — leaving behind a lasting legacy from a singular chapter in Berlin’s cultural history.

Das Café Silberstein war ein besonderer Ort für Kunst und Musik in Berlin. Zu Beginn der wilden 90er Jahre eröffnete es in Berlin-Mitte. Die Eisenmöbel von Sangare Siemsen und Lutz Penndorf wurden zu einem Markenzeichen. Künstler wie Susanne Rast, Rolf Biebl, Sabine Herrmann prägten mit ihrer Kunst das Silberstein. Viele DJs legten dort jede Woche auf. Dank Sangare hatte ich die Möglichkeit, große Bilder im Silberstein regelmäßig zu zeigen. 10 Jahre später machte die Bar ambulance neben dem Silberstein auf. Sangare fragte mich, ob ich nicht mit seinen LPs, die er Anfang der 90er aufgelegt hatte, ein Deckenbild machen könnte. Das war der Beginn meiner Collagen-Malerei. Punk-Pop auf Leinwand.

Berlin hat einen typischen Wandel durchlaufen: Künstler und Kreative haben die Stadt interessant, lebendig und offen gemacht. Aber es ist teuer geworden, und so sind genau diese Leute die ersten, die weiterziehen. 2011 mussten das Cafe Silberstein und die Bar ambulance für immer schließen…

Cafe Silberstein, 1991 – 2011 / Bar ambulance, 2003 – 2011