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Kinky Mom Merkel
You walk into a nightclub and suddenly see Angela Merkel in a very racy outfit. In Berlin, that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. At the extravagant Berlin nightclub KitKatClub, you can find works of art featuring the former chancellor, whom the artist has transformed into the figurehead of sexual freedom, says Germany expert Ulrike Nagel on Bureau Buitenland.
Summary of this conversation
Journalist Ulrike Nagel discusses the controversy surrounding artworks depicting Angela Merkel as a fetish model in a Berlin nightclub on Radio 1’s “Bureau Buitenland.”
April 21, 2023 Ulrike Nagel on Radio 1: Bureau Buitenland – Kinky Mutti Merkel
Angela Merkel as a Fetish Lady in Berlin
The KitKat Club and the Artworks [00:22]: In Berlin, the KitKat Club—known for its extravagant atmosphere featuring dancing, a sauna, a swimming pool, and a “kinky basement”—is hosting an exhibition of special paintings of Angela Merkel. These artworks depict her as a fetish lady in a latex costume, with pink hair and a “little slave” on a leash [00:28].
The Artist and His Choice [01:08]: The Spanish artist Gandro Berlino, who lives in Berlin, chose Angela Merkel as his muse. He justifies his choice by stating that she is a world-renowned politician with strong charisma and was known as “Mutti Merkel,” a sort of mother of the nation. He wanted to transform her into a “perfect muse” [01:14].
Merkel’s Image and the Contrasts [01:46]: Merkel was not known for her frivolity; on the contrary, she was very reserved. Although she grew up in East Germany, where FKK (naturism) was common, her style of dress as chancellor was always the same: jackets in every color, with the occasional low-cut dress [01:55]. The artworks should therefore be viewed as art and as a contrast to her public image.
Reaction in Germany [02:32]: According to Nagel, there is little uproar about this art in the rest of Germany because people in Berlin are accustomed to such extravagance and “anything goes” at the KitKat Club [02:38].
Mutti Angela Merkel — Photo by Alejandro Berlino – Artist on April 19, 2023.
Background
“It’s a pretty extravagant club. You can dance there, but they also have a sauna, a swimming pool, and a kinky basement, so you get the idea of what goes on there,” Nagel describes. And now there are special T-shirts, dresses, and photos for sale featuring Angela Merkel in a latex costume as “Kinky Merkel.”
Friendly “Mom” Look
The artwork is by Berlin-based Spanish artist Alejandro Berlino. According to the artist, he chose Merkel because she is a globally renowned politician with strong charisma and a friendly “mom” look. The extreme contrast appealed to him. On one hand, the serious politician; on the other, fetish culture. That fetish culture is, in itself, a symbol of freedom, and “Mutti Merkel,” as his perfect muse, is a way to honor that freedom.
According to Nagel, this isn’t the first time Merkel has made headlines for revealing her figure. “Her style was actually always the same—the same jackets, in different colors—with a brief exception in 2008. To the opera in Oslo, she wore a dress with a rather low neckline. The photo of her cleavage became famous, but as far as we know, she has never shown that much skin again. The paintings should therefore be viewed primarily as what they are: art.”
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