Photography by Lilly Wetzel.
As part of Berlin Art Week, SLEEK Art Space opened its doors to a special exhibition: Thomas Kretschmann ‘short stories’. Best known as an actor, Kretschmann has appeared in films ranging from The Pianist and Valkyrie to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, while living and working between Los Angeles and Berlin. Yet photography has long accompanied his life in film. Rather than carefully staging his subjects, he captures what catches his eye in the moment. “I don’t take photographs because I have to, but because I’m curious. I see something and capture a moment that tells a story,” he tells us.
For the opening, the actor and photographer drew in a crowd of fabulous, creative people, friends and familiar faces such as Martin Eder, Julia Malik, Miriam Dehne, Ulf Israel and Anna Auerbach, conversing about his captivating photographs.
The smell of floral and musky perfume mixed with sweet notes of white wine by Heitlinger Genusswelten lingered in the air, making one curious to ask questions about how the intriguing artworks came to be. It didn’t take long before the gallery space was overflowing with our beautiful guests, dressed in eccentric fabrics and colours. Tulle skirts, a bright red hat, white satin blouses, blue velvet trousers and leather go-go boots paired with a knitted dress in purple were spotted.
While melodic music was playing in the background, our guests were able to get dressed in curated designer clothes in our YOOX showroom. Memories of playing dress-up returned as guests slipped into extravagant high-fashion pieces, with the results captured in a mirror that doubled as a photo booth, printing out pictures to take home.
Guests were reading through our new SLEEK Issue #90 – CURIOSITY, catching up on recent dramas in the smoking area and enjoying the panoramic view, enhanced by the evening sun flooding the Art Space in captivating rays of light. Meanwhile, Thomas Kretschmann explained the process behind his photographs, feeding the hungry, art-affine attendees with first-hand knowledge of his creative method.
As the last of the evening sun dipped below the skyline, SLEEK Art Space held onto its golden glow a little longer, much like the photographs on its walls, caught somewhere between a fleeting moment and a story that outlasts it. Guests lingered, glasses in hand, still trading theories on the wolves, the oval office, the woman on the cliff. Perhaps that’s the quiet trick of Kretschmann’s work: it doesn’t just document a moment, it invites you to stay curious about it long after you’ve left the room.
If you want to experience it for yourself, Thomas Kretschmann ‘short stories’ is on view at SLEEK Art Space, Alexanderstr. 7, 14th floor, 10178 Berlin, from September 10, 2026.
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All photography by Lilly Wetzel.