A Celebration of Local Art in Berlin

Step into Wilde’s new wine bar in Berlin and you’ll spot something special straight away. Stretching across one wall is Float, a large-scale mural by Berlin-based artist Sophia Frese.

Known for her abstract style, Frese works intuitively, letting shapes and colour build through movement and gesture. “This piece is about flow and suspension,” she says. “I hope guests feel a slight lifting of gravity when they look at it - even if it’s just for a moment.”

The mural runs horizontally across the wall rather than drawing your eye up or down. It invites you to take it in at eye level, slowly and naturally. In a city known for its wide streets and open skies rather than dramatic skylines, that feels fitting.

A Mural Made for Berlin

“The horizontality of the mural is actually a good way to communicate with Berlin,” Frese says. “The sky is always something that’s very much in view in this city - a big contrast, for example, to being in New York, where you mostly see the sky in small slices. Here in Berlin, you really get to see a lot of it.”

Look closely and you’ll notice colours that reflect those Berlin skies, created using natural pigments rather than synthetic tones. Subtle golden lines move across the surface, gently connecting different elements of the painting without overpowering them.

The title, Float, comes from a Janelle Monáe track Frese loves. She describes floating as “walking 2.0” - a lighter way of moving through the world. In a city that carries so much history and energy, that sense of lightness feels welcome. She says, “For me, floating is kind of a walking 2.0. It’s about transcending a bit of gravity and heaviness, which I feel is part of our time for sure. But at the same time, I think of Berlin as allowing for that kind of flow. It always has. It’s a bit of a suspended place in some ways within Germany that allows for more transcendence than a lot of other spaces, as many big cities do.”

Painting with Rhythm

Frese studied literature and culture before focusing fully on painting, and while storytelling influences how she thinks, she’s clear that painting works on its own terms.

“Visual art is a very different beast,” she says. “I’m happy that it can’t be fully put into words.”

Music plays a big role in her studio. There’s always something playing in the background. For her, painting has rhythm - a balance between control and instinct.

Sophia doesn’t begin with detailed sketches or a fixed plan. She starts with an open mind and lets the piece find its own way as she works. At some point, she stops trying to control it and begins responding to what’s unfolding in front of her.

“That’s when it gets exciting,” she says. “For me, it feels like a dance.”

She’s careful not to overwork anything. She explains, “I always want to leave room for risk - for something a little unresolved.”

Art in Everyday Spaces

Creating Float with SUPERFICIAL for Wilde was a different experience from showing work in a gallery.

“As an artist - and a true nerd - I love art-centered places,” she laughs, mentioning Hamburger Bahnhof and Berlin’s gallery scene. “I love going to galleries in Berlin. There’s such a fantastic array of places you can visit. One of my favourites is, for example, 68 Projects, which has a really cutting-edge eye for beautiful emerging artists.”

When speaking about showcasing her work in a space that isn’t purely about art, Sophia says, “The idea that I can share my art in a public space that is not distinctly art-focused is also beautiful, because it brings in another audience and another atmosphere to create in.”

A wine bar, after all, is about conversation. It’s about relaxing, lingering, enjoying the moment, which makes it a natural home for this beautiful piece.

Berlin, As It Is

Outside the studio, Frese prefers to experience Berlin without too much planning.

“I love walking aimlessly,” she says. “I love going out in the city. I love people-watching. I think it’s an underrated art that we should all practice more. I love that way of experiencing a city, without a map, without reviews - just very direct and unfiltered.”

In summer, she heads to Teufelsberg for its sweeping views across the city. Evenings might mean a visit to Paris Bar or Korean food in Kreuzberg. Berlin’s bars, she says, often feel “a little bit like your living room with the electricity gone out” - cosy, low-lit and unpolished.

That relaxed, slightly rough-around-the-edges atmosphere is part of what makes Berlin what it is. And it’s something you can feel in her work too.

In Wilde Berlin's wine bar, as glasses clink and conversation flows, Float sits quietly in the background. It doesn’t need to explain itself. It simply adds to the mood, giving guests a small moment to pause, look up, and feel just a little lighter.