Friedrich Kunath Recreates LA Bar 'Va Bene' at Pace Berlin

Friedrich Kunath has installed his LA bar 'Va Bene' inside Pace Gallery Berlin as part of the exhibition 'Goodbye Sadness, Hello Sadness'. The bar, originally built in his Los Angeles studio as a social sculpture, serves as a space for pasta, music, and conversation. Kunath describes LA as 'the most isolated big city in the world' and the bar as a reaction to that isolation, a 'naive cry for connection'. The exhibition title is borrowed from Françoise Sagan's novel 'Bonjour Tristesse', reflecting the bar's dual signage: 'Goodbye Sadness' at the entrance and 'Hello Sadness' at the exit. Kunath, who grew up in Berlin and Chemnitz (then Karl-Marx-Stadt), now splits his time between LA and Berlin, where he has a small apartment and workspace. He discusses his obsession with Italian pop music, particularly Lucio Battisti and Franco Battiato, which inspired the bar's aesthetic. Kunath also wrote lyrics for Liam Gallagher's solo album, using phrases from his own paintings. The exhibition runs at Pace Berlin.