Berlin's Bellevue Palace, the official residence of the German president, will be closed for years for a major restoration. Before that, however, it is being transformed into an art gallery.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier On the eve of the opening of Bellevue, he stressed to visitors the importance of culture for democracy.
"A democratic society thrives on diversity of voices," he said. "Art makes visible different experiences, desires and realities of life."
"In this sense, art is by no means a luxury, but an essential part of democratic discourse," the president added.
Bellevue will close its doors to all but those working on a multi-year restoration project in early July. In the meantime, an exhibition of contemporary artists by the Academy of Fine Arts from June 13 to 28 will transform the already empty space into a temporary gallery. Steinmeier added that the exhibition is important to him personally because he feels that the importance of art and culture has been overlooked during the difficult debates of recent years.
"It hurts cultural creators, but it also hurts someone like me, who has been surrounded by literature, theater, film and, above all, jazz throughout his life," he said on Monday.
According to him, the exhibition offers citizens the opportunity to say goodbye to the residence of the federal president before its long closure.
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