In February 2025, during Adeline Meilliez’s exhibition at Under The Mango Tree in Berlin-Schöneberg, I stepped into what instantly felt like a very special place 💫

Originally from India, Mini studied at the College of Art in New Delhi and first ran a successful design studio before moving to Berlin in the early 1990s. What began as a seed planted by a friend has grown into a vibrant gallery dedicated to emerging artists and unseen voices in the city 🎨🌬️

Over the years, Under The Mango Tree has become more than an exhibition space: it’s a meeting point for creativity, conversation, and community. Mini’s vision is one of generosity and connection, bringing people together through art, music, food, and storytelling 🌅👐

Her journey is a testament to patience, purpose, and the power of creating meaning where you are. A heartfelt conversation about art, belonging, and the courage to build bridges across cultures 🗺️

✍️ Notes on https://www.berlindetoi.com/mini-kapur/

💌 Subscribe to the newsletter (FR) at https://substack.com/@berlindetoi

🔎 Share your story https://forms.gle/gtqoAjCTzT4RkTkf9

⭐️ 5 stars and a kind comment to support and promote the podcast ⭐️

Hello, everyone.

Welcome on the podcast show.

My name is Gabrielle, and I'm delighted that you're joining us for this conversation.

When I arrived in Berlin a few years ago, I was struggling creating a network, professional

as personal, and I would have loved to hear discussion and conversation from inspiring

and engaged people living here.

This is the purpose of the podcast Berlin de Toit.

In French, German, English speaking conversation, we're going to meet these incredible people,

which makes this place so awesome.

So thank you for tuning in and see you soon.

Mini Cabourg, welcome on the podcast.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for inviting me.

I'm very excited to be here in your studio under the mango tree.

And now is almost winter, as we were talking before.

So we have a beautiful lighted studio and the dark street outside.

We need light in the darkness.

Could you please present yourself?

How do I present myself?

I like people.

And I like to create new relationships.

And if it happens through art and other creative endeavors, I really enjoy it.

That's what I can say about myself at the moment.

Why did you name your gallery Under the Mango Tree?

Oh, that's a long story, Gabrielle.

Do you want to hear it?

You know, when I came to Germany, as you said, it's dark outside.

It was the month of February and it used to get dark at three thirty.

And I couldn't bear up with it, you know.

And I felt that I didn't want to stay on here.

And my husband was very smart and he would always put around a lot of stories to me.

And one of the stories was his imagination of us sitting under the mango tree and doing

business.

That was thirty five years back, I'm talking about.

And, you know, somehow this sentence was so beautiful, I took away everything from that

sentence.

And I said, wow, under the mango tree.

And at that time, you know, I used to run my design studio.

And I said, I'll be using this for my design studio.

So this has been in use ever since.

And when I opened the gallery, I did not want my name, as most of the galleries do have

the name of the galleries.

I thought it's better to have this carry on with this imagination of a beautiful space.

I found it very appealing the first time I read it, because I came here for the

Vernissage of Adeline, who is a French artist.

And when I saw a gallery under the mango tree, it really did strike my imagination and

curiosity.

How do other people react?

They love it.

I remember, though, when I started the gallery, some friends and some people who are in the

business, they also said, don't you think it's a long name?

But I couldn't think of anything else.

And in the meantime, everybody acknowledges that it is so different and it is so it's

one of the kind.

And yeah, people like it.

It's true.

You don't forget it.

Yeah.

And, you know, the children who pass by and they're learning how to speak or, you know,

they're learning, perhaps reading in the school and they stand here and they say under

the mango tree.

I hear it so often since 14 years, almost every month, I would say once at least.

And I love it.

So it's like an anchoring in a very gentle space for people also.

You know, it's not about one person.

It is about everyone.

How did you start at the gallery at the beginning?

Oh, gallery was never my thought, actually, Gabrielle.

I did, you know, if I look back, I find it very fascinating is about 40 years back, I

started studying fine arts in India, in the Delhi College of Art.

But I realized at that time, you know, the art scene in India was not really big and artists

were always, you know, looking for money.

And I didn't want to be in that part of the society, to be very frank.

And I changed over to visual communication, which was as creative as being in the fine

art.

And I really enjoyed that space.

And then after so many years, when I was in Berlin, I think it must have been 1998 or

2000 when the document happened.

One of my friends from Delhi College of Art, she was in a fine art group.

She was visiting and she came to visit me in Berlin.

And she put the seed into my head.

And she said, why don't you start a gallery for all of us here?

I said, are you crazy?

I have no idea how to run a gallery.

No, no, no, we'll teach you.

We'll tell you how to do you.

Next time you come, sit with us.

We should sit together and we'll inform you about the basics.

And this is how the idea started.

And I was actually looking for an office space.

I wanted to run my design studio from an office and not from home anymore.

And in that process, when I entered this space, I said, oh, my God, this is a gallery.

You know, and it took 11 years to ripen up this seed, you know.

And immediately I started working on the idea of a gallery.

I said, OK, let's see what happens.

Did you contacted your friend again?

I have been in touch with other friends.

She is now a very, very busy professor.

But I plan to meet her next time when I go.

I have crossed 14 years.

Now I can tell her the story of success.

Love it.

So you started on your own from the.

So did you still had your design business when you opened the gallery or did you made?

How quick was the switch from one to the other one?

Oh, no, I.

The plan was I wanted to run a gallery because it was such a big space for one person office.

And I thought I could manage both.

I have been used to doing a lot of work and I enjoy my work.

And I was very confident that I can do both.

But I realized in a few months itself that, you know, if you want to do something

and build up something, you really need to give it full attention.

You can't do both on the equal flame.

And it would have been bad for my clients from the design

if I was giving them half-hearted things.

So gradually, but surely it all, I think in about seven to eight months, it all

came into just being a gallery.

And, you know, I didn't have any idea how to run a gallery, but to run it,

I had to be completely into it.

Yeah. And to understand it.

And that's what happened.

And how did you start it?

Because I guess one of the key description of a gallery is presenting artists

or art from different artists.

And I guess a lot of contemporary artists.

Look, my thought was to create a space initially.

Yeah.

As I said, I did not know gallery business.

So how I started was I talked to people who were not from the German background

and those who were also looking for associations and they were looking for collaborations

so that, you know, they could be shown.

And it often happens that it's not so easy to get a show, which I have learned over the years.

But this aspect of being open to everybody whose work, you know, I naturally, because I would say,

because of my education and my experience of many years in the design,

there was a tuning of my eye and my sensibilities towards art and good work.

So that has always been helpful in finding the right people.

I don't think so.

I would show just anyone and everyone because at the end of the day,

you are not showing it just for the sake of it.

You know, you have to have everyone in your perspective.

That means you have to have the artists yourself because you have to represent them.

How good you can stand with them.

And then your client or your audience,

they also expect something because then they invest their trust in you.

So to understand that was very vital for me.

It took some time, but luckily things started working.

It's a long process, I must say that, but it's very rewarding also.

I think the inner space gets rewarded.

Do you remember your first show?

Oh, yes.

How did it went?

Oh, well, it went off well.

I must say this is an artist from Turkey and he's not working anymore, sadly.

Very young, he graduated from Udekar, but he made really great sculptures.

And I was very happy to show him.

And I'm still in touch with his brother, who I also did another show with

recently after we did two shows together.

So I remember it being more a party.

Because, as I said, I was trying to understand how to run it, you know, and I was open.

I said, OK, let's do it.

You know, let's see what will happen.

You know, and that way it was, everything was a learning process.

And how would you, Kelly, qualify your understanding over the years?

Do you still get the thrill each time you have a show?

Is it different?

Is it became more a space that you know about?

I think I'm very thankful that I started the gallery.

It's been a painful experience because when you don't, it's a very tough business.

It's a very tough business.

And it's painful because you don't know anything and nobody helps you.

And it's very competitive, especially in Berlin.

And that also means you have to invest your own time and your own resources.

So additionally, that could mean a lot of sleepless nights.

You know, and it was one thing was clear for me that if I put in this passion into something,

it's going to be for myself and my family, not for somebody who I work for.

I had already worked a lot for other people and I knew that I could do it for myself.

Now.

So.

Yes, it's been a very rewarding experience, you know, and for me, I would say I wish I

had started earlier.

Even earlier?

Yes.

I started at 50 or 49 and with no idea how to run a gallery.

Yeah, I wish I had started earlier because I think you can do a lot.

You know, one can.

It's such a fantastic space to be in.

Do I understand correctly?

The idea is to start earlier so you have more time or is it a question of energy or moment?

You know, and of course you have more time.

You need that time.

If you come without a network, it's not your own country.

Nobody helps you.

How do you create a space for yourself?

And everywhere there are gatekeepers, you know, so you have to learn all these processes

and for that you need time.

And as a young person, maybe you have more time, but other people say many, but

had you started earlier, you would not have been so matured in your approach.

That's why I'm asking too.

Yeah, true.

But I wish I had started earlier.

It would have been much more.

I think it would have been more beneficial for the people who I'm collaborating with.

I believe so, but I'm also satisfied with what I have.

And now that, you know, when my son tells me that he wants to,

or he has actually indirectly in a very small percentage joined me,

it's really fantastic to see that energy too.

That's the energy what is needed by this space, you know.

Is it something that you have expected since the beginning?

Never, never.

As I said, it's a very difficult space.

I'm a very strict person there, you know.

I say it's important to, maybe I'm very traditional also,

it's important to have a profession.

So I always tell people, yes, even I feel even the artists,

they really have to have a parallel concept apart from just doing art.

And I think I would not have ever put it into his head.

But today, you know, when I sit and think,

I think actually nothing could be a better business or space.

I don't know what to say because I'm not doing it as a business business.

It's a beautiful space because you're exchanging always with people

and you're always learning.

And that's what life is about.

And this is what holds me to this place.

And as you asked me, yes, Gabrielle, it's going to be soon 15 years.

And I enjoy every show.

Yeah, and I enjoy it totally.

Did you feel there was a moment where you had a kind of momentum

or you revived to a different level and you were like,

oh, after five years or 10 years, now I feel more comfortable

or I feel that I have also a public and people coming, customers,

that you're on the map, if you know what I mean?

Um, no, because I think I have such a varied way of thinking.

I'm open to so much.

And I refuse to change it for people, for an audience, for a specific line.

It would have been easier had I done it that way.

You know, just taking works on paper or just taking paintings or just,

you know, if work is good and speaks to me, I say yes.

And because I think I'm running this space as I run my life.

I do not like to limit myself.

Had I limited myself, I would not have left a comfortable job

in a comfortable space in India and come here.

It's always like, you know, learning.

And so I learn from every artist also.

Yeah, whether they do painting, their thoughts, their backgrounds,

their concepts, there's always so much deeper in it.

It's not just a painting.

And at the same time, I might like, you know, like this artist,

Saurabh Narang from India.

He just paints.

He just works with a line.

Since 25 years, he's just working with a line and a dot

and has such an immense body of work.

Yeah, and this fascinates me.

And I don't want to escape this experience just because I have an audience to serve.

I think life is so wide and broad.

One, I enjoy it like that.

So I think if I enjoy it, then I can also accordingly tell people about that.

I really feel you about that part.

How do you decide which artist you're going to make a show with

and how do you construct the show?

Is it a discussion?

Is it a shared vision?

How does it work?

It's a mix of everything.

It's normally a shared vision is very important.

Yeah, and then we discuss also what also, you know,

I also keep my audience in my mind.

Would they like it?

Would they be able to appreciate it?

Yeah, maybe not everybody, but why not give them this exposure?

Yeah, in that space, you know, when you move around like this,

it becomes easier for me to decide then.

And constructing a show, yes, we do.

We do normally a lot of solo shows.

And for that, yes, we have to really go deeper with the artists to understand them

and to see and to be able to distribute within the giving space

how to do it and how to construct the story.

I really like that.

And do you reach out to artists?

So it's like, for example, you have a list of artists you want to collaborate with.

Do they reach out to you?

Do you plan it like three years ahead or is it more spontaneous or flexible?

I do observe a lot of artists and I like to work with younger people

or people who haven't had the chance to show.

But that doesn't mean that I show everyone, you know,

and I personally prefer watching someone over the period.

And yes, if you like something, I'm open to that too.

If I like something, then it's a spontaneous love.

And we say, OK, you know, it may not be just right away,

but we keep that person in mind and we then like to approach them.

It is also possible they don't want to work with us.

But it's fine.

You know, it's an appreciation which is needed.

And I get the relation also built over the year and can change.

Yes, of course, yes.

But we've had really good experiences

and we feel it's always been worth it the way we are going.

It may change over the next years because, you know,

I would be gradually but surely receding.

But till then, I think I want to continue the way I'm doing it

because I don't want to learn now a new way of doing things.

How many artists do you have approximately each year?

We have four shows from which three shows are always solo.

And one is a group show.

How is it to come in your office

each year to four different, to be completely different artworks?

Oh, it's awesome.

You know, life is not just one way.

You meet so much on your path.

For me, it is like I am talking to different perspectives of life.

And then just to realize that each one of us is on the same way,

but from a different angle.

And that's what connects me to art

and that's what connects me to this profession,

this work, you know.

And it's really nice.

And that's one reason I keep the works for two months.

One space is where we watch the artist,

we see the growth and then approach them.

But that's always from a distance.

Then we get to know the artist.

Then we talk, we interact.

And that's when the depth starts coming in.

And the final station is to have the artworks here.

And that's an absolutely different level, you know.

And that's where you start seeing small things

which you might not even see in a dialogue,

because then it's connected to you and the artwork.

You both are connected.

Do you have an example?

Yeah, this exhibition itself, you know.

When I meet this person, he's very nice, very simple.

And then I see these structures.

I see so much of architecture,

although he doesn't have an architectural background.

And he tells me that he never has a,

what you say in German, vorlager.

He doesn't have any idea what's going to come out.

And that is so fascinating for me

to see how the artwork relates to me

or how I relate to the artwork, you know.

And there is so much of development in every,

you know, every second day when I come closer to these artworks,

I say, my God, you know, every time I see something different.

And that's a relationship also, you know,

an indirect relationship to the artist.

And for me, I think that is much more important.

Very important, actually.

Why is it important also to be working with artists who are living?

Or did you already make retrospective about artists that are not here anymore?

I have done that too.

And that was a, I've done it for two women, German women artists,

both from the wartime.

Margaret Hofheinz-Döring and Irina Wiedel.

Irina Wiedel is one of my very favorite artists, actually.

And you know what happened?

It was, we did her show while she had dementia.

And I worked with her godchild.

And Irina needed, you know,

there was some money needed to put her into the Heim.

So the children wanted, or her godchild wanted,

that somehow something could sell,

or maybe, you know, just push her name while she's in the, you know, hospital.

It was a total chaos when I entered the space to see the works,

you know, because the children didn't know anything about her work.

And then somehow we put the show together.

This was in 2017, December.

And it started on, I think, around November, beginning.

And I had planned, Irina was born in 1939 here in Berlin.

And she was left by her mother, an unwed mother,

closed her in a monastery.

And, you know, she had a very tough life.

So somehow her work is like

an absolute clear vision of the women here in Germany

in that time period, you know, how she struggled.

And what I was telling you is a very fascinating thing for me,

what happened here in the gallery.

Irina was in her Heim.

And on 3rd of December, I connected, we did,

as you know, we do a lot of events around the exhibition.

So I talked to her daughter and I told her,

let's do a get together of her old friends,

because she knew a lot of people in Berlin.

I said, we'll all drink tea together in her name and talk about,

you know, the youth or the time that they shared.

Oh, that's such a beautiful idea.

Yeah. And we had about only five or six people who came or whatever.

It was a beautiful, small round.

This was on 3rd of December.

And I will never forget that date.

It all went off very well, fine.

On 4th of December, I was at home and I get a,

you know, her daughter rings the bell.

And she stands at the door and she told me that on 3rd of December,

the time that we were sitting together around 3.30,

Irina passed away in her Heim, drinking a cup of tea.

Oh, wow.

You know, for me, this was the biggest thing that could,

that could have happened in the life of a gallerist.

And, you know, I didn't meet her.

I could not meet her, but I met her on a different level.

And for me, this is something which will always stay.

And I love her work.

It may be dark, but it comes from the darkness of the society also against women.

And we are talking about 70s and 80s.

Yeah, and she was a fighter.

But I feel, I was thankful that she passed,

because to live a lonely life in that form, I would never wish it for anyone.

You know, and especially for the artists who actually give a lot.

You have such an incredible way

talking about the artists you present or the show you do.

And it's also what struck to me when I came to the Vernissage of Adeline.

And I went to a few galleries in my life,

but I must say I always, always felt a bit out of place

and didn't know where to go and didn't know how to feel.

And it's true that when we come here as a customer or someone walking in,

I felt very welcomed and that the space is very well thought.

In the context of the show from Adeline, we had an amazing dinner,

which was six spices dinner.

Yes.

Can you talk, can you explain this?

Why, where does it come from?

And it's such a good and great idea to make also this form of connection through art.

Yeah, you said it well, you know, connection.

It's all about connecting.

Six spices.

You see, I've told you I missed home and that's why the name Under the Mango Tree.

And in India, you know, you basically don't need an occasion to sit together.

You're always sitting together.

And that is such a warm feeling.

And I love cooking.

So when I opened the gallery, you see, and I also told you that I did not know how to run a gallery.

So these small events became a kind of, you know,

small outlets of getting people in.

So I didn't know anybody who would come and buy art.

Love that.

So this dinner was more a connection also to the memory of sitting together at home.

And it is so fascinating, I can't tell you, I have always cooked myself.

And normally in India, you have a whole table full of 100 things.

You can't eat all that.

But it's so warm heartedly presented, you know.

And I thought, why not give it a try?

It's my own space, my own freedom.

I can do whatever I want.

So let's do this kind of a dinner.

This is how I started back in 2011 itself.

And people loved it, you know.

And six spices means we are six siblings.

And it's a connection to my family.

So and when you connect to your family, you really want to give everything.

I cook like a foolish person.

I have so much on the table, but it's fun.

I'm dead tired.

But then, you know, the moment people start coming in,

they are enjoying and my tiredness goes away.

But as I said, actually, the whole idea was to connect with people over art.

And I was too tired to even speak about art.

And that's why, you know, now I'm trying to introduce younger generation.

Like when you came, Aakash cooked.

There's so many good people who really, you know, want to do something new

and they are creative and they want to do.

So it's a good collaboration.

And let us see if we would be doing that also next year.

Now, this year, it's a bit late.

I mean, the the food was amazing.

It was really blowing blown away the quality of it.

And I really loved also how it was conducted.

So for each.

It was each dish was connected to a different work that was presented.

And so we also have your introduction when we came to the very size.

And then the presentation of Aakash and how he constructed the dish

in connection to the art.

So it was it was very fun, super tasteful.

And we were sitting with incredible people.

So it was an amazing event.

I think it was definitely in my top of this year.

It was so much fun.

Thank you so much.

I'm really happy to hear that.

It was really good.

I really liked being with the people.

I was much more relaxed.

And I hope to continue it next year in the similar format.

Oh, I would love to.

That was about the flavor.

But in the studio, there is also a magnificent clavier.

Oh, yes.

Piano.

And you also do events with music, which I couldn't attempt so far.

But I really am looking forward to.

What is the idea of putting also music, so artists,

not from visual, but from sound and music in the gallery?

What happened with me over the years is of learning,

starting with fine art, going to visual communication,

then also designing certain events.

And I told you, I also designed shawls.

But I felt that creativity is not limited only to one field.

And music is also a creative endeavor.

And for us, we just want to create that space for everyone

who we possibly can connect with.

And music is a beautiful language.

And again, in music field, also, there are lots of international

musicians who are present here in Berlin.

And that's how we started.

Then we said, OK, let's do.

Initially, we did the first festival, jazz, with five events.

And then we started doing it regularly.

And we present mostly jazz and blues.

We are trying to introduce also classical.

OK.

Yeah.

And but the whole idea is to, you know, mix and bring everyone together

here through music, through art, through other events, you know.

And that is what the main vision of the gallery is also.

You know, as we're talking, I'm kind of feeling that

it's more about a school of life kind of than a gallery, because you learn

the visual, the tasting, the connecting with people, the music.

It's very a lot of learnings coming through the door and a lot of connection.

I think it's really exciting to know that this kind of space exists

and that you make it livable and existing.

So it's super exciting.

I'm super happy that we're talking.

I thank you very much, you know, that you approached me and I

I would be very happy to greet you and your friends all over again.

The information is in your newsletter for the people who are listening.

And we can follow on the social media.

Yes, Instagram.

We are present on Instagram.

I'm out of Facebook now.

But Instagram is very active under the mango tree with dots between.

So we would really appreciate also having the newsletter

addresses if people want to subscribe to it, you know, and you go on the website

and on the very first page, scroll downwards and you can fill up your information

and you will be on our list.

So that is for everyone who is more or less familiar with art

and for your customer or buyer.

Could you maybe tell us what kind of people it is?

Is it younger people, older people?

Is it visitors?

Do you have a type?

We don't really have a particular type.

It's interesting to watch that.

It's actually a lot of intergenerational

aspect that's very present since last two years in our gallery.

A lot of customers or the visitors to events are

middle age, old age and also very young people.

And that's what we like also.

You know, this is a place because we all can.

This was my always a wish that we all learn from each other.

I learned from the younger generation,

but our experience can also give something to the younger generation.

So the whole idea is bringing everyone together.

And yes, if you speak about art, most of the people I would say are

between 40 going upwards

because I think that's when you start really looking up and say,

OK, I would like to invest in something very personal.

But events, for our concerts, you have a very wonderful mix of people.

For the people listening who haven't gone through this first time buying art,

for myself, I think I haven't bought any original yet, to be honest.

So I have prints, for example.

This is the most closest I came, I guess, to a painting or creation.

What would be your recommendation to make a choice?

Look, first of all, I'm very glad to hear that you

have invested in prints.

This is also a very nice thing.

To make a choice, I would always recommend what really you like.

And people should not even hesitate to talk to the gallerist,

especially when they're coming to me.

We do offer a possibility to buy in two or three installments.

So, and we have really, there have been people who have taken that offer as a, you know,

as a doing, like, you know, we've done it.

And it's good for both, that, you know, for all, actually.

The artist is happy, the buyer is happy, and we are glad

because it becomes easier to pay that amount.

And we don't add any interest on it.

Yeah, so you get the work by the time the exhibition comes to an end.

You have already paid and you can carry your work home.

So I would say, if you like something, you should try and acquire it

because it's about you.

It's not just about the artist.

Yeah, like, I live with the artworks every eight weeks.

And I see how they work on me.

And it's very painful.

You know, when the first time, I must tell you,

the first time when the exhibition came to an end,

and the artist came to pick it up, I cried.

I told you, I was not a gallerist.

And I couldn't believe, you know, after eight weeks, it was all going home.

And that presence of the artworks,

it carries its own energy, you know, they become also part of your life.

And it's not just a commodity.

It is much more than that.

And my saying it is not going to affect, I think you're doing it

and acquiring something which is very personal to you.

I think it's worth every investment.

Do you have rituals before, after a show,

when you have this change from an artist to another at the end of the year?

Do you have some specific things that you do?

Not really, but we are, we have been thinking of, you know,

just doing some coming together of all the artists.

You know, let's hope that we can put it into action,

which would be nice, you know, bringing them all together.

I've been thinking a lot about it for the podcast guests.

I would really love to make an event where all the guests who came,

who talked once, could meet each other, because

as you and I are doing a form of curation,

I guess putting these people that we all chose to talk or take time to talk with

is something so special that having them together reunited feels very exciting to me.

Yes, it's very nice. It's a very great idea.

Actually, you should use the space.

I love it. We're going to talk about it.

Yeah, then our ideas meet, yeah.

And we do also, I just wanted to tell you,

like sometimes, you know, people do ask us if they can use our space,

which is also a possibility for us, which I've always had it from the very beginning.

That, you know, if people have, sometimes somebody celebrated her 60th birthday,

oh, it was so beautiful.

She had 22 guests and it was done so beautifully.

We have almost everything in the kitchen, but she, you know,

one needs to plan with the catering and all, which was very well curated.

And it happened also during the exhibition of Irina Vidal, you know.

So it was a woman from Berlin who wanted, and it was just fitting to the whole concept.

And those kind of things we also do at times with people if they are a smaller group,

but want to use the gallery as an event space for their personal events.

Like somebody celebrated, a young guy wanted to dedicate on his birthday,

a piano recital with his own family and friends, you know.

And he dedicated to his mother and they came here.

And such events, if people can always book with us.

So many possibilities, actually.

Yeah.

So the only thing is, everything has to finish till 10 o'clock.

Yeah, that's a new rule in Berlin.

That's Germany.

That is now.

Perfect.

Are there in the next dates or time upcoming events that you want to share?

Oh, yes.

You should please be ready to come and join us.

On 20th of November, we are opening a new exhibition with seven international women artists.

Yeah.

It's called Found in Translation, you know.

And it's an expression of very young and upcoming artists.

Quite a few of them, actually three of them have won

awards in their graduation exams of masters.

And one of them has also presented in Venice Biennale.

And even the others who are coming, they are, they may be one of them is very new,

but they have aspirations to grow.

So come and join us.

And then we are going to have very interesting concerts.

Blues.

You know, it's on 28th of November.

He is an 81-year-old man who brought blues to Berlin.

And I would love to see this place humming with his sound.

And, you know, it's an inspiring thing to watch him,

to hear him still playing.

And we can all feel blessed to have such people around us, you know.

And then in December, it's the Concert for Happiness on 12th of December.

Two women, one from Italy and Portugal.

Awesome.

You know, I've had that concert a year and a half back.

And that happiness is still there.

So please come.

I'll keep you informed.

You, I'm going to sign you up for the newsletter.

Please.

Yeah.

And I'm going to write that I already have the dates in my agenda.

Yes, yes.

Because it's something, you know, and especially these dark nights,

dark evenings, we all need to be together.

It's true.

I feel really grateful to have met you this year.

Because it's very enriching in life.

And I have the feeling moving to Germany and haven't

had really the culture younger to go to concert, for example.

I feel a bit intimated now in my adult life.

You know, you're between.

Oh, I don't want to go alone somewhere.

And you have to organize it.

And for you to have the space where you do it and you do it such beautifully.

I feel very grateful for this.

So I hope that people who are listening.

I would hope so too.

Yeah, it's really nice to have everyone over.

And it becomes over the years, you know, it becomes like a family, I guess.

Yeah.

And it's not somebody, you know, it's not just about,

you know, how intimate the space is.

So it's not about earning money out of it.

It is about generating happiness.

You know, and even this, these musicians, you know,

they really give in their heart and soul.

And I love it working with everyone.

Like recently we had this guy, Tariq Yamani from Beirut.

He played on piano.

It was house full.

And he had so many tones happening on this piano.

For some, it was too much.

And but for others, they were totally taken aback.

They said, oh my God, you know, there were so many levels.

And one wondered if he's playing just with two hands.

And these experiences are, and you know, being an intimate space,

people can talk to the musicians.

They can interact with them.

We have a pause always.

And it's a nice gathering, you know,

and I know some people who come regularly.

It's such a lovely feeling.

I'm looking forward to it.

You also have, beside the artworks, postcards, books and Kashmir.

What is it about?

What are they exactly?

Oh, if you remember in the beginning, I just mentioned that

I have been working also in different spaces of professions.

So I used to design shawls myself because I used to miss colour.

And but giving it a contemporary language and getting them made in India.

But over the period of years, I realised that I could not do everything, you know.

So I started working with the Indian designers.

The idea is to show quality from India.

You know, and all the work that we show here when it comes to textile is

somehow connected to handwork.

What you are seeing here is at the moment, Kashmir.

And I work with a designer based in India, in Delhi,

who works with the families based in Srinagar, in Kashmir.

So there are no middle people between us.

And you get the quality from us, you know.

And for us, really, it is not about quantity.

I don't want to have piles of things.

My whole idea is to bring quality from India.

If I show you the handworked, hand-embroidered shawls, which I designed,

I was working with Galeries Lafayette and Ritz Carlton.

I know it, Gabrielle, you'll go bonkers.

I love them even today, although it's 10 years back I did that, you know.

But in the process, I must say I'm thankful that I'm working with more other people.

Because it makes it easier for me.

Because fashion is a very demanding space.

And I didn't want to cater to that demand myself.

So when the designers are doing, I bring them here the things,

and people can decide to take that.

And the books that you see here are also handmade books.

This, I've been working from the very beginning, when I started the gallery.

And I was the first one to bring the book.

These are screen-printed books.

And very proud, and they're always here with me.

And they make lovely gifts, especially for the Christmas time, you know.

Yeah, and that's, for me, this is all, you know,

actually the space became more of a kind of, you can never replace your home.

But it's my connection to India, in its spirit, and in all that I do.

Well, I did feel that it was different when you come in.

So for the people listening to us, to have this very particular experience,

and enjoy a conversation with you in discovering the works,

whether it is art or music or food or textile,

come have a look.

This is in Schöneberg.

Did you thought of going somewhere else?

Or are you happy you picked Schöneberg?

Absolutely.

You know, this street was an absolutely dead street when I started.

And I don't know what happened.

I believe the gods worked for me.

And there's so much life now.

So many people, and I love this place.

I've been here for, I've been living here in this area for 30 years.

And now, 15 years we've been running this space, and it's the best place for me.

You know, and people will come.

I think, and I believed in it when I started it.

And things have changed, and they're going to change further.

So for the, no matter where you're coming from,

I think this district in Berlin is always a Besuch wert.

It's always worth a visit.

And you have great food and great places.

So it's definitely a good place to visit and go.

Yeah.

Thank you so much, Minnie.

Is there a question I forgot to ask?

Something you want to add?

Not really.

Not really.

That was really nice.

I was very comfortable with you today.

I found you, it was really, I really enjoyed it.

And you perfectly described as

passionate as you are when you talk about art and presenting.

So I'm super keen and I'm excited to know

how many people will come and discover after listening to this.

So thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

Congratulations.

You made it to the end of the conversation.

Thank you so much for your attention.

You will find the whole show notes on the website of the podcast

under www.berlindetroit.com

And you can find us on Instagram at berlindetroit, all together.

Thank you so much.

See you soon and have fun.

Bye.

Bye.