The Illustrated Berlin Diary by Sholem Krishtalka

The Illustrated Berlin Diary by Sholem Krishtalka

You might have noticed that lately we found several talented Berlin illustrators who have shown us their perspective on the city. Today I am glad to present you one particular artist who I have been following for quite a while. Sholem Krishtalka, is a Canadian illustrator and author and in my opinion one of the most talented storytellers of this city. He moved to Berlin nearly one and a half years ago and already created 30 short comic strips telling about his life in Berlin and his travels to other places in Europe. The short comics are little emotional journeys of a gay expat man here in Berlin, but I think that nearly everybody, no matter if gay or straight can relate to the tales of strange encounters happening in there. Some of the stories deal with general troubles, like finding a flat, others are more specific to the gay community. But all in all you realize that the comics are as unique as Berlin and no other place could have provided a better background for them. Read a statement of the artist and all the details of the exhibition after the jump.

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The Illustrated Teufelsberg Spie Station

The Illustrated Teufelsberg Spie Station

No other abandoned building became such an iconic representative for the mysterious past of Berlin like the former NSA station at Teufelsberg. On top an 80 meter artificial hill (made out of war detruits) in the Grunewald forest on the west edge of the city, this very impressive building is a strong recall of strategic importance of Berlin in the cold war. Several photo excursion, short clips and art projects are proof who much the collective imaginative is empowered by the fading architecture of this place. One really nice artistic dedication to this monument is the Teufelsberg series that was previously exhibited at Urban Spree Gallery. It is a set of 19 hand painted originals created by several Berlin street artist on a black-and-white screen print of the iconic Berlin-Teufelsberg landscape designed by Chrisse Kunst. The entire set comes after the jump.
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Exploring Berlin: The Hotspots of Potsdamer Straße

Exploring Berlin: The Hotspots of Potsdamer Straße

photo: Philipp Langenheim

For the longest time, Potsdamer Straße in Tiergarten has been a forgotten place famous only for its theatre and a couple of national museums. But in recent years, the street has developed into a melting pot for contemporary art with countless new galleries, and a few additions to the world of avant-garde fashion as well. In this guide we will discover all the new and exciting places, along with a few classics. Click on to tour the hotspots of this bustling street. read more…

Our Friends from the Peachbeach

Our Friends from the Peachbeach

Vidam

If there is one thing certain about the Urban Spree gallery in Friedrichshain it’s that they will always deliver about their exhibition. Few galleries manage to be so consistant about their style while still being always full of fun and surprises.

The new group exhibition opening tonight curated by the artist duo behind the collective Peachbeach is one more example for Urban Spree’s genious choices of arists. They got all their favorite fellow artists together to create a spectacular show and of course yet another huge mural that is going to cover the outside of the gallery. Apart from Vidam and Look from Peachbeach there will also be the work of DXTR,BASE23, Mike Friedrich, Martin Krusche, Deedee Kid, John Reaktor and Zipper die Rakete. After the jump you will see a preview of the show, but make sure to come by the vernissage tonight as there is going to be quite the party going on.

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Dubl Trubl – London Street Art in Berlin

Dubl Trubl – London Street Art in Berlin

photos by Yuto Yamada

Dubl Trubl is the funny title of the current group exhibition of one of our favorite galleries for urban art, the Urban Spree gallery at the RAW area in Friedrichshain. Curated by Discreet over 90 street and graffiti artists, mostly from London, had paired up and sprayed over every inch of the outside and inside walls of the gallery. This is a continuation of the fascinating concept to use the entir building as a canvas for art and this exhibition has made use of it in the most extensive capacity that I have seen so far. Even the trash cans were used for the art! What I like about the exhibition that it somehow seems like it’s still from one artist as most of the work kept in the colorspace that includes black, white and yellow. It looks pretty iconic this way and will be very memorable, though it will soon be painted over by the next exhibition I assume.

This Thursday the exhibition will celebrate its closing night so it’s your last chance to see it up-close. To make the finissage even more exciting it will also be the release of the Dubl Trubl documentary video and zine that was produced in parallel to the exhibition with lots of behind the scenes and making of material. Urban Spree is also celebrating the launch of Chrisse Kunst’s print collaboration with the artists Dave The Chimp, Billy & Alex, Thierry Noir, Aeon, Christiaan Nagel, Reka and more. So come by and check out all the shiny new things and discover all the Dubl Trubl street art and graffiti around the place. Some previews after the jump.

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Kulturfestival Wedding & Moabit – Discovering the Unknown

Kulturfestival Wedding & Moabit – Discovering the Unknown

photo: Amtsgericht by Herz&Blut

Since the beginning of our blogging experience we realized that Berlin has so much more to discover if you just open your eyes a bit wider. We always wanted to find the hidden gems, the undiscovered artist, the small off-theater production and give them the attention they deserved. Now after 7 years we managed to have quite a good knowledge of the city, but still every once in a while we make exciting new experiences here that take our breath away.

Last week we shared a similar experience with a group of fellow Berlin bloggers (FindingBerlinHerz&Blut, Ghetogether to name a few). The guys from the Kulturfestival Wedding & Moabit wanted to show us the highlights of Wedding with a little tour and they did a marvelous job in presenting us not only spectacular architectonical highlights such as the Amtsgericht Tiergarten but also shared personal moments and anecdotes of their Kiezes with us while enjoying a slice of pizza.

From today on until September 14 the Kulturfestival Wedding & Moabit will transform these two neighborhoods into a lively creative oasis of ideas and festivities. Theater plays, dance performances, exhibitions, picnics, guided tours and of course an endless number of parties are just a few things you can experience during these days. Our recommended hotspots are the famous club Anita Berber, the monumental Amtsgericht and of course the Stattbad Wedding. Maybe after this weekend you will have a different view on Wedding and Moabit. You should also heck out our Fashion Week Guide to Wedding by the way. After the jump some more impressions from the different locations. Find out about the whole program of the festival here. read more…

A Contemporary Art Guide for Berlin-Mitte

A Contemporary Art Guide for Berlin-Mitte

Boros Collection

When I went through my city guide archive on iHeartBerlin I noticed that I neglected one of my favorite districts of the city a little bit in recent months. I lived in the North of Mitte for about 4,5 years and I quickly grew very fond of my neighborhood there around Rosenthaler Platz. Even though I live in Prenzlauer Berg now I still go there all the time and I really miss some of the places that I used to frequent on a daily basis. Mitte might have the reputation of being overly commercial, but I think still it is the best place for food, fashion and art as it has the best fashion shops, most important art galleries and the most popular restaurants in town.

For our new guide I decided to create a little art tour through Mitte with some of the most important galleries for contemporary art as well as some of my favorite places that you will come across on the way. This walking tour is my ultimate suggestions on how to spend a day in Berlin-Mitte dedicated to art. Keep your eyes open on the way, as you will come across some nice shops, cafes and restaurants as well. Enjoy and be inspired!

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The 8 of Paths – Art in Beijing

The 8 of Paths – Art in Beijing

Contemporary art from China is almost only known under the prominent name of Ai Weiwei. Obviously such a huge country has far more creative talent than only one single individual, even though being an artist in China is probably not the easiest job to pursue due to the dictatorial regime.

One interesting opportunity to discover new talents from China is the current exhibition The 8 of Paths which showcases a generation of artists who have gained new possibilities and new freedoms to express themselves. Presenting 23 positions by young artists living in Beijing the goal of the exhibition is to promote China as a vibrant and artistic country. Even though this goal leaves some question marks inside my head, I really enjoyed visiting the exhibition at the Uferhallen in Wedding. The artworks are very diverse and showed me really interesting cultural insights into Chinese society and their art world. The exhibition runs until July 13th 2014 and every Wednesday they are also showing cinema screenings at 19h. My photographic impressions and the address and times after the jump.
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Carrots, Unicorns and Vegan Burgers – A Visit to the Holzmarkt

Carrots, Unicorns and Vegan Burgers – A Visit to the Holzmarkt

Have you already been to the Holzmarkt? It’s the new cultural and social space that has been built on top of the former, legendary Bar 25 directly at the shore of the Spree. The Bar 25 is probably one of the most notable clubs of the post-millenium era and even though it has been closed down for years the legand never died with films and books coming out and new places opening up of people from the previous group of owners. The Kater Holzig across the Spree was one of them that was also open for a few years, and the Chalet at former Heinz Minki beer garden is yet another.

It’s pretty much a miracle that the grounds of the old Bar 25 are now back in the hands of the same people even though this area was meant to become one of the construction sites of the city developement catastrophy that is the Mediaspree. Gladly this could be prevented with the efforts of many people getting involved and maybe also some luck and good will of people in high places. The concept was far too tempting: A new cultural and social meeting point with lots of small alternative projects coming together in one place to create a little haven for those who want to escape the commercialized metropolis Berlin is slowly but surely becoming. Here you can grow your own carrots, have your children play on the adventurous playground, eat your vegan burger, watch independant theater productions and performances or simply enjoy the sunset with a view over the river Spree. And what it turned out to be is exactly that. A place that is open to everyone (without the ruthless door policy of the previous Bar 25) to come and feel a little free from everything.

I’m curious what else is going to grow at Holzmarkt as there are still some areas in construction. Right now you can also see the urban farming projects, some food stands and a bar, lots of seating and lounges, the playground, and the amazing looking Ding Dong Dom theater. I hear there are also plans for another club, artist studios and a gallery. I’m sure many events will take place there soon. Go and have a look for yourself. Some impressions after the jump.

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Berlin Art: Project M/4 Review – Open Air Gallery & Pop-Up Show

Berlin Art: Project M/4 Review – Open Air Gallery & Pop-Up Show

photos: Henrik Haven

Since Saturday Schöneberg’s Bülowstraße offers some real eye candy for lovers of urban art: Urban Nation invited 10 artists from around the globe to utilize the shop windows and facade of a large house that is mostly unoccupied. The result is an outdoor gallery with incredible works by artists like Alexis Diaz (aka La Pandilla), Glenn Barr, Nosego, the Lowbros, Word to Mother, C215 and many more. This is already the forth manifestation of “Project M/”, a temporary art project. And there is even more art to be found just across the street at the Urban Nation office (No. 97): The pop-up show “LAX/TXL” opened on Saturday as well with works of the 11 artists of Project M/4 PLUS a roster of more than 50 additional artists. The exhibition is opened until mid July and also Project M/4 will remain installed until at least then. More information and also the artists at work and their final works can bee adored after the jump! read more…