Designed in 1957 by an American architect, Berlin's Haus der Kulturen der Welt ("House of World Cultures") is "Germany's national center for contemporary non-European art" (via Wiki).

But, whatever, it's a cool building that shows some great art. The architecture and large floor plan allow it to showcase a wide variety of art in unique settings (think rooms with natural light, rooms adjoining outdoor gardens, screening rooms for film/video, large foyers). I went a few weeks ago to see a photo show called "Ostzeit - Stories from a Vanished Country" which was an amazing collection of images from the GDR featuring four East German photographers (including 2 women!) and Frenchman Maurice Weiss. The work showcased everything from day to day life, to fashion images, to portraits to documentation of the fall of the Berlin Wall and its immediate aftermath. Four of the photographers (Sibylle Bergemann, Ute Mahler, Werner Mahler, Harald Hauswald) went on to found the OSTKREUZ photo agency. I have to admit I was surprised, not at the quality of work, which was extremely high, but that these photographers were able to produce and publish so much in a state controlled country. I imagine it was a constant game of producing work without pushing the authorities too far. I recommend checking out OSTKREUZ'S website to see their roster and their excellent line up of exhibitions (link above). And then go to the Haus der Kulturen der Welt to look at a space that could have been built in 1960's Chicago complete with your grandmother's couch.