Photos: Jens Wernscheid

Now, in the coldest time of the year, the next summer, and the next Fusion Festival, seems very far away. With temperatures dropping down to -20° and the city covered in snow, the idea of dancing in the sun is quite hard to imagine. But there are “just” 145 more days to go until the next Fusion starts! To celebrate this countdown, here are some picture from the Fusion Festival 2010.

Balam Acab

Ski trousers, granny’s socks and booze is the recipe to stay warm. And hussle from the metro to your favored location and back. Pull yourself together and show some balls you pussy-whipped teen. Your ancestors had no heater, they used to be real men..watch out for free tickets on our Facebook homepage. Parties for real men and strong women after the jump:

Thursday

Within the CTM festival the first Tri Angle showcase in Europe is held at the mighty Berghain. Who is playing? No less than Balam Acab, oOoOO and Holy Other with all new livesets + support from Kuedo and Puzzle. Tickets are sold out, how mean of me to mention it!

Gazelle live tonight at Prince Charles ( Prinzenstr. ), 12 Euro door, 10 box office, also Olkar Melzer and more djing!

The band Notic Nastic will be performing a live show at the cut&paste design tournament which takes place at Volksbuehne!

Friday

At the Slim Mag Party the Mag’s video issue launches and the very music-orientated brothers ans sisters of Slim rock a night at Kreuzberg based Prince Charles, U Moritzplatz, in order to celebrate. Look forward to quality electronic music by Beaner ( Bar 25 ), Jenne Grabowski , Gordon Agnew VS Tiddlerz from ireland, James Blonde VS Magit Cacoon on one floor and in room 2 Samehead’s Dsb, Backyard’s Suz, Qzen ( Permanent Vacation ) and Elie Eidelman!

Minimal Edition at Astra Kulturhaus. The concert venue hosts a minimal party with Philip Bader of Highgrade Rec and Marcus Meinhardt. The after hour will take place at Suicide Circus, a few meters next to Astra, Revaler Str. 99 in Friedrichshain!

Saturday

Coop is getting older so are you. 10 Years of Coop! Those times of free booze parties in massive locations with Nu Rave music are over, it now goes posh amongst actor’s sons and a lot of wannabe models straight to Flamingo at Hackescher Markt, Djs are all known from Rio, except Dada Disco, they didn’t exist by the time, cocktail booze!

The highly talented Suzan is presenting her impressive art work at Backyard for the Exhibition Opening of 2x3D, so does installation artist Jan Bourquin. Both working at Backyard night and day to finish things in time for you to watch. After the exhibition that starts at 9 pm there will be of course an aftershowparty with three new talent dj blokes, Gian, t0dorakis and Attila, Gitschinerstr. 22, U Prinzenstr.!

Sysiphos Sause from Saturday until Monday in Rummelsburg. Like, you can go whenever you want, paradise. Check out the line-up here!

A gayish Cocktail D’Amore will be served at former Raum 18 now 20 in Ziegrastr. 15, now called Raum 15, whatever, behind Estrel Hotel. The party of and for koala-, teddy-, grizzly- and other bears with Discodromo!

Photo: Katy Koch

Sometimes everything depends on the right timing. Marie Antoinette would have probably bit on her own tongue if she would have known that her cake fantasies would have brought a headless future for herself. On my side, I am wondering if writing about decadent little delicious cakes is the right thing to do in a week in which everybody else is blogging about homeless people and the hard winter. Anyhow, I discovered a little cake shop that I just want to share with you. So get more information after the jump, eat cake and then give your old clothes to homeless people.

Princess Cheesecake is a patisserie fantasy that  a German lady realized after a trip to the US. Inside the bermuda triangle of Mitte it makes a wonderful appearance and presents the most delicious jewel-like cakes. Just go there and enjoy it with your eyes and your mouth.

Princess Cheesecake

Mo to Sun from  12.00 to 19.00

Tucholskystraße 37,

10117 Berlin Mitte.

www.princess-cheesecake.de

www.facebook.com/PrincessCheesecake

What a joy: Wim Wender’s PINA is nominated for an Oscar award in the documentary category. Although the Oscars aren’t necessarily a symbol of artistic quality to me, I can’t deny a certain interest in those films that made it onto the short list of nominations. And PINA would actually deserve the award. On the occassion of this nomination, I’ll write about PINA and other wonderful documentaries focussing on dance this week.

The famous choreographer Pina Bausch and the renown director Wim Wenders wanted to make a movie together. But Bausch’s sudden death in 2009 brought the project to a sudden halt. Luckily, Wenders decided to finish the movie nevertheless and developed PINA with the international dancers of Bausch’s Wuppertal Company.

In different spots of Wuppertal, they staged various scenes from various pieces by Bausch. The city of Wuppertal with its industrial charme becomes the stage of the movie, and by usins her hometown as a artistic background, Pina Bausch becomes even more present as well. The dancers and the performances are pure passion. They show desperation, love, loss and success – and they simply draw the audience into the movie. Although there is no sign of narration or plot, PINA develops a certain tension that cannot simply be put down to spectatorship. This dance movie is transformed into a thriller of movement, and the audience is constantly wondering what will be next.

The decision to shoot and only screen the film in 3D seemed a perfect fit to me. But PINA was my first 3D movie, and I ended up focussing more on the effects – which certainly need improvement with quick movement – than the film. So that’s the only aspect I would critize: The movie itself is great, it doesn’t need a third dimension stealing all the attention.

Tanzträume (D: Anne Linsel, Rainer Hoffmann, GER 2010)

Here you can see Pina Bausch at work, practicing her piece „Kontakthof“ with 40 students. The film shows interviews and the rehearsals, and it describes the entire process of the project, the experiences of the students. By doing so, the movie gives us an eep insight into Pina Bausch’s work.

La Danse (D: Frederick Wiseman, USA 2010)

Frederick Wiseman is a famous “Direct Cinema” director. The “Direct Cinema” style calls for simple observation and no interference by interviewing people or staging anything during or after the shoot. Directors like Frederick Wiseman simply turn on the camera and film whatever happens. These films do seem like documents at first sight, but by choosing the frame, scenes and cuts they actually do construct the film as well.

Wiseman is a master of his trade. In his movie La Danse, he filmed the famous ballet ensemble of the French Opera in Paris and staged them in the most beautiful way. With hardly any words, this – very long – film shows the rehearsals, the auditions and performances of the world famous company. I could have watched these ballerinas forever and was almost disappointed when the film ended after more than two and a half hours.

Crazy Horse (D: Frederick Wiseman, USA 2011)

It seems that Wiseman didn´t have enough of dance or Paris after finishing La Danse, so he only changed the filming location. The Crazy Horse is one of the worlds best strip clubs, and it’s quite a priviledge to dance here. Wiseman shows the reahearsals, the preperations of the venue, the sewing of the costumes and simply all that goes into the amazing live show. Crazy Horse is not quite as long as La Danse, but certainly just as much a “must see”.

Rythm is it! (D: Thomas Grube, Enrique Sánchez Lansch, GER 2004)

„You can change your life in a dance class!“. That is what choreographer Royston Maldoom tells the students of Berlin’s social disadvantaged schools. He and Sir Simon Rattle, chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonics, develop a performance that should not only be fun, but especially allow the kids to get a fresh perspective. The film accompanies the project, it features interviews with both the young adults and the teachers. Rythm is it! shows how the participants change because of this dance project; we get to see how their self confidence grows and how they start taking encouragment.

Tobias Zielony “Manitoba Brokenhead” at KOW Berlin

This week is all about the Transmediale at Haus der Kulturen der Welt. The media-art-festival features concerts, screenings and performances. In addition, HBC. hosts a reading about Hipsters, Figge von Rosen Galerie introduces us to ASDFGHJKLÖ and Tobias Zielony observes teenagers. Additionally, lots of after-show parties invite to dance the night through.

Tuesday, Jan 31

Kristoffer Gansing, the director of Transmediale 2012, has prepared an extensive and exciting program: The media-art-festival includes video art, electronic music, performances, talks and parties. “In/compatible”- the central theme – includes artworks by media-art-heroes such as Chris Burden, Chris Cunningham (Aphex Twin) or Steina and Woody Vasulka. The festival opens with a large private view at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 17h).

Wednesday, Feb 01

Ben De Biel, founder of Maria Club in Berlin and documentary photographer, has been documenting Germany’s capital since it was reunited. HBC. (Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 9) now presents him in a solo exhibition, exhibiting his pictures from the years 1990-1993. The opening starts at 19h and will be followed by music and live performances by Jochen Arbeit from Einstürzende Neubauten, the journalist Max Dax and others.

It has already been at Woodstock and the Carnegie Hall: For the first time, the New York-based light artists The Joshua Light Show present their popular program in collaboration with several musicians and transform Haus der Kulturen der Welt‘s auditorium into a psychedelic trip down memory lane. On Wednesday, they perform together with Oneothrix Point Never, and on Thursday with Manuel Göttsching. Within the framework of this year’s Transmediale, The Joshua Light Show concerts starts at 21h and cost 15 (12) Euro admission.

Thursday, Feb 02

As every month, Kunstmagazin.de and Bar 1000 host an art-collectors-talk, enabling the “normal” crowd to get to know those people with one of the most expensive and luxurious hobbies in the world. This time, they invited Jan-Philipp Saxauer - a man who only collects art by artists that he knows personally or who he is friends with, as for instance: Christian Achenbach, Andreas Golder and Maike Gräf. The talk takes place at Bar 1000 (Schiffbauerdamm 11) at 20h – a reservation is obligatory and can be done by writing to sammler (at) kunstmagazin.de

Another interesting Transmediale event at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (18.30h)  is the screening of “I’m the Enemy. Satellite Stories”, featuring video works by the fantastic Bjørn Melhus, as well as Nadav Assor, Peter Callas, Neozoon, Steve Reinke and Roee Rosen.

Friday, Feb 03

Regarding the density of openings, this week is a little calmer than the last one. Nonetheless, it offers some great events: KOW BERLIN (Brunnenstrasse 9) dedicates a must-see solo exhibition to the emerging and talented photographer Tobias Zielony, who always manages to balance his portraits of teenagers growing up in minority groups somewhere between photojournalism and artistic freedom.

Figge von Rosen Galerie (Potsdamer Strasse 98, 19h) shows an “Arbeitsrhytmus” (working rhythm) by the conceptual artist Ignacio Uriarte. Besides sculptural installation-pieces that often include office items, Uriarte also created a sound installation with the title ASDFGHJKLÖ.

And finally Iris Schomaker is “Doing real things” and presents her newest and traditionally female portrait paintings at Galerie Thomas Schulte (Charlottenstrasse 24). The opening starts at 19h and ends at 21h.

Saturday, Feb 04

The word “Hipster” has become somewhat of a non-word in Berlin: People who fit into the Hipster description deny it or even deny their existence, and those who don’t like Hipsters use it as a swear word. Articles, TV-shows and other publications have discussed it, we have heard it way too often – but Mark Greif wrote a whole book (suhrkamp) about it – and its supposed to be great. HBC., Wibke Wtzker and Oskar Piegsa host his public reading, which will take place at 18h at the cinema, followed by a party with music by Thomas Meinecke and Tobias Rapp.

At Backyard (Gitschiner Str. 22) the exhibition 2&3D celebrates its opening: Assembled by curator Lars Richter, the figurative painter Suzan Rinow and installation-artist Jan Bourquin show their newest creations, which are staged in relation to the space and juxtaposed to each other. The private viewing starts at 21h and is followed by an after-show party.

Sunday, Feb 05

At Möckernstraße 68. the Gesellschaft der Freunde der Stiftung für Medienkunst und Philosophie (only Germans can come up with such a ridiculous name for a venue) opens their newest exhibition with a handful of minimalist and abstract artists, such as Sery C., Imi Knoebel, Maria Munoz and Blinky Palermo. They do not reveal what the exhibit is about, but after such a colorful and media-focussed week, it might be nice with some clear lines and calming purity.

Anna-Lena Werner is a graduate art theorist, writer and freelance curator. On her blog artfridge.de, she collects interviews with emerging artists and other creative people, talent discoveries and exhibition reviews from Berlin, Cologne and London. For the next weeks, Anna-Lena will write The Weekly Art Guide on iheartberlin.

Ben De Biel “Oranienburger 1992″, at HBC.

Mark Greif  ”Hipster”, reading at HBC.

The Joshua Light Show

Jan Bourquin at Backyard

Suzan Rinow at Backyard

painting by Iris Schomaker

Ignacio Uriarte “60 seconds”

This amazing animated short film from South America about the drowning of the city Bogotá is basically the reason why I even started this section on the blog as it’s my favorite of its kind. It’s already 3 years old and I guess the gloomy, rainy mood of the film is the reason why I haven’t posted it so far. But now that the weather in Germany has gotten so bad I think it’s about time The story is really captivating. And I love the watercolor style and amazing soundtrack of it. Watch it through the end, it’s worth it! Enjoy En Agosto by Andrés Barrientos and Carlos Andrés Reyes after the jump.

While I am on vacation in Buenos Aires I thought it to be quite suitable to show you a fashion film from here in this week’s edition of our Cinéma de Mode. It was shot by Lucas Castro Pardo with fashion & styling by Roberto Piqueras for Argentinian mens fashion magazine Peter, Tom & Dave. Enjoy after the jump.

We really want to say thanks to Who’s Next Paris to let us experience these amazing 5 days in Paris. We finally had the chance to check out Paris Fashion Week, see the shows of our fav Bernhard Willhelm as well as Walter van Beirendonck and Damir Doma, dance at the fabulous Flash Cocotte party, meet some great young designers at the Who’s Next fair and browse through giant vintage mountains. All things we just loved. We also had some really weird and funny experience. We saw a crazy and very entertaining catwalk fashion musical at Who’s Next, we met some giant vampire drag queens at Place de la Concorde and found a little hotel with an antique harp in the attic. So beautiful and strange! See all impressions of our lovely trip after the jump.

Here is a video of the Who’s Next Fashion Show:

We have been waiting for it for a long time – and it was worth it. Today, the first German issue of Andy Warhol’s legendary Interview magazine was released. Get more information after the jump.

The first thing you notice is: The magazine has a great haptic quality, which is quite important in the age of the internet: the paper feels nice, the format is unique and the design is great.

What I also like: there is a lot to read! And what you get to read goes beyond the shallow and stupid bullshit that you find in most other lifestyle magazines. In other words: In this magazine, you do not have the feeling that the content was entirely produced by PR agencies.

I particularly enjoyed the conversation between René Pollesch and Thomas Macho. Additionally, there are interviews featuring Clint Eastwood, Angelina Jolie, Chloë Sevigny, Scarlett Johansson und Kim Gordon. One of the highlight is definitely the story of the Interview magazine, which is told in no less than 40 pages.

When it comes to the pictures, the Interview magazine is not exactly overwhelming. Well, the cover story with Lana Del Rey is great, there is a amazing series by Markus Pritzi with psychedelic 70ies pictures, and the idea to include Gerard Malanga, one of Andy Warhol’s former assistants, was also quite smart. Nevertheless, I do miss something that makes this magazine truly unique and extraordinary. Anyhow, check out this wonderful “Making of” video from the photo shooting with Lana Del Rey:

The last time Germans tried to adjust an international lifestyle magazine, it was a great failure: the German Vanity Fair died after just two years. Interview is different though. You can already see that in this first issue. After all, this is a terrific start, and I am looking forward to the next issues.

Only one day to go, tomorrow is casual Friday and you can wear your beanies, finally. We have tickets to win, some advice for tonight and of course for Sunday and its lost souls there is a party, too. You can practically party from tonight until Monday, but who would be that foolish? And since Bar 25 is no more, one or two days are enough I guess. Ahahaah, those guys are hanging out in Mexico now, at least now you know where the entry of the tenthousand au revoir – parties went to! Good cause, well, not for you though. Our lovely handpicked parties after the jump:

Thursday

The Schokoladen in Mitte is one of the last institutions of its kind and it is fighting to stay. In order to collect money to pay the lawyer’s and court’s fee they are doing a party. Come by, have a beer at Ackerstr/corner of Torstr. and help Berlin to save a bit of its character!

Luzia has a secret: it’s the guys of Dada Disco playing tonight while you are having a drink surrounded by tourists looking for love!

Friday

What?! is Love ♥6 at What?! with girls only djing : Tigeress DJs, Suz & Eliza Foxx, Micky & Katze, entry  7€ | two people pay 10€ together. There will be a Knutschautomat ( kissing machine ). For couples and those who want to be a couple one night only!

Dub:Step: night at Club Gretchen, Obentrauthstr. 19!

Saturday

Whatyouseeiswhatyouget. New venue – alarm with a legendary guy, he is called Gerald, furthermore Deadbeat and Bleed at Wysiwyg, Revalerstr. 19!

Sunday

Students who already handed in their work, the unemployed and dawdlers pay attention. For our disco damaged after hour – friends Kater Holzig invites you to a Kleintiersafari with Pilocka Krach, Erobique (live), The Sorry Entertainers, Mira and more. All that is presented by Bachstelzen and for sure you won’t find anyone who has to get up for work on Monday!

Monday

Ctm 12 Spectral Festival at Berghain, Hau, Kunstraum Bethanien aso. with acts such as Mouse On Mars, Tim hecker Balam Acab and many more. Infos here!