A look back at the Ruglet Bazar on Kastanienallee: at pieces moving on to new homes, and at the people who transformed the showroom for a day.
At twelve o'clock, the showroom on Kastanienallee opened its doors. Throughout the day, kilims changed owners, music echoed between the stacked rugs, and space was cleared for dancing during three short performances. Familiar faces from the early years of Wild Heart Free Soul attended, as did people who visited us for the very first time that day.
The Ruglet Bazar followed in the footsteps of the bazaars with which Wild Heart Free Soul began in Berlin. It gave older pieces a new place and brought together people who share a love for textiles, music, and found objects.
Pieces with a story
Alongside vintage kilims from our collection were rugs that customers had brought in for resale. In between hung vintage clothing, kaftans from India, silk robes from Afghanistan, and embroidered textiles from Anatolia. Added to this were jewelry, copper bowls from Gaziantep, and a small collection of vintage acoustic guitars.
For the jewelry, we found an old glass display case from a shop liquidation on Oderberger Straße shortly before the bazaar. Such decisions are part of setting up a bazaar: you place things side by side, move them around again, and see what connections emerge in the space.
Music and movement among the kilims
Daniel Wang played jazz, funk, and disco. His sets were a soundtrack to my early years in Berlin. This time he played in the showroom while people browsed among the kilims, talked to one another, and stayed for the music.
Three times, the music gave way to a performance. Three dancers from the Ampelos Collective improvised among the rugs. Jiahui accompanied them on the guzheng. The audience moved closer, cleared a space, and watched. For a few minutes, the way we perceived this familiar space changed.
Who made this day possible
For the bazaar, the showroom was rearranged: rugs were stacked, fabrics hung up, and display cases put in place. A golden disco ball has hung above the entrance door ever since. It stayed there even after the bazaar.
Nora planned the day with us. Francesca, Francesco, and Giampo helped with posters, videos, and setup. Elisa and Teresa redesigned the showroom and took care of many details during the preparations. Valla Vino brought natural wines and provided another focal point for conversation. My thanks go to all of them.
I would also like to thank the customers, friends, and visitors who came. Some have been with Wild Heart Free Soul for over eleven years; others we met for the first time that day. Many kilims found new owners.
The Ruglet Bazar reminded me of what defined those first bazaars in Berlin: textiles were looked at, handled, and passed on; alongside this, conversations, music, and new acquaintances emerged. That is what we want to build upon with Ruglet.
