A GERMAN TOUR DE FORCE

The Meisterkreis photo exhibition featuring the country’s  leading brands aims to connect education with collaboration.

As veterans of innovation, employing superior engineering, technology and craftsmanship, German brands have a long established reputation for creating first-class products. And, with the roll-out of the German Contemporary Excellence photography exhibition, they are making sure that that renown stays top of mind in this day and age of enhanced global competition.

Organised by Meisterkreis, which represents more than 70 of Germany’s top companies, cultural and scientific institutions, the exhibition has toured major cities across the globe. After its launch in Berlin, it has travelled to Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Paris and London. Having stopped over in Singapore last month, it will be in Seoul this month, and in Hong Kong the next.

The exhibition features stunning photographs of familiar brands such as A. Lange & Sohne, Porsche, BMW and Montblanc, companies that are the best in their fields in demonstrating excellence in technology, craftsmanship and design. But the concept of German excellence is much richer than one would assume.

Says Meisterkreis chairman Clemens Pflanz: “Usually German excellence is associated with the outstanding achievements of German engineering. But it’s much more. It’s a coming together of different poles: romanticism and progress, avant-garde and tradition, poetry and technology.” Thus, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Gallery and the University of Art are represented as well.

He adds that “the images provide impetus for a German–Singapore exchange among companies, creative professionals and artists”, leading to an “intensive exchange of experience and knowledge and future joint cooperation”. Some of the photographs are reproduced on these pages.

01 BURMESTER

All-in-one sound system Phase 3 Retro Style, consisting of receiver 161 and two B15 loudspeakers, in the ballet studio of the Staatsballett Berlin.