New York is the ultimate mecca of multiculturism, and now the city welcomes its latest international import: Tobias Rehberger’s Bar Oppenheimer. Launching during Frieze New York by his London gallerist Pilar Corrias, the German artist has gone above and beyond to replicate - and reinvent - his favourite Frankfurt local within Hôtel Americano.
One part sculptural artwork, one part fully functioning bar, the second edition of Bar Oppenheimer remains faithful to the spirit of the original – but with a characteristic Rehberger twist.
The striking striped interior is based on ‘dazzle camouflage’, a trick used by camoufleurs in the First World War to confuse enemy submarines and prevent them from accurately identifying their position. The psychedelic prints serve a more playful purpose in the Oppenheimer doppelgänger, although that’s not to say a few cocktails won’t have guests seeing double.
We caught up with Rehberger in the original Frankfurt bar for our June 2013 issue. Pick up a copy to find out what inspired this act of transplantation.
The artist at the original Bar Oppenheimer.
Rehberger's replica features striking striped décor based on Second World War 'dazzle camouflage'
The New York space has exactly the same size and proportions as the Frankfurt bar, but with added stripes
ADDRESS
Hôtel Americano
518 West 27th Street
New York
-
An ocean-facing Montauk house is 'a coming-of-age, a celebration, a lair'A Montauk house on Hither Hills, designed by Hampton architects Oza Sabbeth, is wrapped in timber and connects its residents with the ocean
-
Chef Matt Abé steps out solo with Bonheur in MayfairA former fine-dining institution is transformed through a study of light, tone and materiality, courtesy of Russell Sage Studio
-
A forgotten history of Italian artists affected by the HIV-AIDS crisis goes on show in Tuscany‘Vivono: Art and Feelings, HIV-AIDS in Italy. 1982-1996’, at Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato delves into the conversation around the crisis
-
Ed Ruscha’s foray into chocolate is sweet, smart and very AmericanArt and chocolate combine deliciously in ‘Made in California’, a project from the artist with andSons Chocolatiers
-
Inside the work of photographer Seydou Keïta, who captured portraits across West Africa‘Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens’, an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, celebrates the 20th-century photographer
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the capital this week
-
María Berrío creates fantastical worlds from Japanese-paper collages in New YorkNew York-based Colombian artist María Berrío explores a love of folklore and myth in delicate and colourful works on paper
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAs we approach Frieze, our editors have been trawling the capital's galleries. Elsewhere: a 'Wineglass' marathon, a must-see film, and a visit to a science museum
-
June Leaf’s New York survey captures a life in motionJune Leaf made art in many forms for over seven decades, with an unstoppable energy and fierce appetite leading her to rationalise life in her own terms.
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles launches the seventh iteration of its highly anticipated artist biennialOne of the gallery's flagship exhibitions, Made in LA showcases the breadth and depth of the city's contemporary art scene
