Frank | iHeartBerlin.de

Sky Under Berlin – An Exhibition in one of the Darkest Places of Berlin

Imagine you are sitting in a secret bar in Berlin, between hundreds of candles and listening to atmospheric sounds. A person dressed all in black accompanies you to an old closet. Inside is a hidden door that leads you into an ancient cellar of the building. At the end of this corridor, you find yourself in another world – deep inside the heads of 10 artists who lead you through a dark labyrinth of their imagination… The path through the darkness leads you back to the red bar, while the experiences in the darkness fade into a dream.

Following the huge success of the group exhibitions “The Darkrooms” and “Lost Art Festival” the makers of these shows are bringing you a brand new underground art experience from March 23 – April 3, 2022: “Himmel unter Berlin” (Sky Under Berlin) takes you on a journey into the underground of Berlin, to a secret place that will vanish forever once the show is over.

An Unforgettable Experience at the New Resto-Bar Bellboy Berlin

by Frank | Bars, Mitte, Restaurants

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure to be invited to try out a brand new resto-bar in Berlin and we finally want to share our experience with you today.

Bellboy Berlin is a concept bar that comes from Israel and much like other places from there such as Benedict, Night Kitchen, and Shishi, you can expect an overall experience for the senses and heart and not just a regular restaurant visit.

The Best Concept Stores for Gift Shopping in Berlin

by Frank | Charlottenburg, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Shops

If you are looking for a cute thing as a gift for a friend, loved one or even just for yourself it’s sometimes not so easy to know where to start looking, right? But don’t worry, that’s what we are here for. We went through our mental archive of all the shops in Berlin to find those that would fit the bill for this very purpose and came up with a cute little list of the best concept stores in Berlin that are perfect for gift shopping.

Fantastic Theater in December

by Frank | Theater

photo: Thomas Aurin.

With clubs closed, events canceled, and generally December being a month mostly dedicated to anticipating Christmas and buying presents, there is not so much to do in terms of entertainment and nightlife. Or is there? Well, as by magic, some of my most anticipated theater pieces happen to have performances this month and I’m so excited about it because due to several lockdowns and what not I haven’t seen a lot of theater in the last 2 years and I miss it.

To avid followers of iHeartBerlin and regular readers of our event guide, it might not come as a surprise that we are big Constanza Macras fans. The Argentinian director and her company DorkyPark have blessed us with many memorable nights in the theater (or whatever other place she chooses for her pieces because it could also very well be a forest or an abandoned industrial hall). So this month she does not only have one but two of her big stage productions playing at Volksbühne and I really recommend you to go. The West is a piece about colonialism that premiered last year and I’ve seen it and it’s fantastic! The Future is her new production from this year, I have yet to watch it, and I will and I can’t wait.

Also on our list is Bibliomaniacs, a dance piece from a newly formed collective of female performance artists that we had the chance to see last year already and warmly recommend. It’s playing this week at Fahrbereitschaft in Lichtenberg. And last but not least, the opera that prompted our recent Cocktail & Movie Night at Staatsoper Berlin: Sleepless is one of the contemporary productions from Staatsoper that I believe is a great opportunity for a younger audience to get into opera and see how impressive a full-blown opera production in one of Germany’s main opera houses actually is.

A Farewell for Angie: A Tribute Design to 16 Years of Angela Merkel

by Frank | Design, Products

illustration: Guen Douglas.

After 16 years in office, our chancellorette Angela Merkle has stepped down just a few days ago. Her departure from her position as head of state of Germany was preceded with several photos of her in very private settings that prompted many memes, such as the iconic one of her with some tropical birds at Vogelpark Marlow, or the recent photo spread in Bunte magazine of her in casual clothing with her husband. In all those photos she looks really happy and relieved, probably looking forward to the time where she doesn’t have to deal with the Trumps, Putins, and Erdogans of the world. For some reason, her release into the private life seems to be the vibe of our time. It doesn’t take a lot to imagine under what pressure this woman must have been.

Despite being part of a very conservative and capitalistic political party that has basically blocked any kind of progressive or social movements in the last decades she was an icon of the liberal world and respected worldwide. It’s a mystery to many, why she was even in this dreadful party and her internal quarrels with her more conservative male colleagues were no secret. But she managed through all of that and because of her more social policies in recent years she even had voters on her side that might have voted green or red this year. In a way, the fact that she didn’t run again this year, was a relief to many that might have been torn between her and more liberal/social/environmentally friendly parties.

The Latest Brunch & Breakfast Spots in Berlin

by Frank | Cafés, Charlottenburg, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg, Schöneberg

It’s time for our annual guide of new and newish breakfast and brunch cafes in Berlin! It’s been a wild 2 years and it was quite the challenge for Berlin’s gastronomy scene who had to keep its places shut during several lockdowns. But nonetheless, there are some courageous entrepreneurs who decided to open their places despite the global pandemic. Chapeau!

In our new guide, we included a variety of places that we discovered all over the city that offer a delicious slice of breakfast and contemporary brunch dishes that will have your mouth water and belly rejoice in anticipation. Now without further ado, here are the places we selected for you.

Exciting Art in Berlin: 5 Exhibition Highlights in December

by Frank | Art

Refik Anadol, König Galerie.

With venues currently reducing their events and clubs canceling their parties due to the current rise of infections, the fear is pretty big that we’re heading into another long and boring Winter of nothing much to do. But before you book your flight out of the impending doom, hear me out: Berlin still has a lot going on. There are still a lot of theater shows and exhibitions going on this December that you definitely shouldn’t miss out on.

With our latest guide, we want to shine a light on some current highlights from the world of contemporary art that can be enjoyed here in Berlin. We took a look around to some of our favorite museums and galleries and found a plethora of amazing exhibitions that we want to share with you here. The iconic St. Agnes a.k.a. König Galerie is of course part of it – as per usual since this is our favorite gallery – but also the nearby Berlinische Galerie, Neukölln’s KINDL brewery as well as the beautiful Schinkelpavillon in Mitte. Expect some bizarre Alien sculptures, digital art from the world of NFTs, some latex rubber suits à la American Horror Story and a portrait show questioning masculinity.

A Guide to the Coolest Alternative Christmas Markets in Berlin

by Frank | Christmas, Market

Heissa Holzmarkt.

With our nerves hanging on really thin threads these days due to the… – let’s just call it circumstance – there is only one thing really keeping us remotely sane: the prospect of Christmas. It’s like that one warm cozy light at the end of the tunnel that is the second year in a fucking pandemic.

While a lot of markets were actually not happening last year, the vaccinations and current regulations make it possible that they are happening again this year. We are glad they are because Christmas and Winter markets make up for a lot of the magic of the holiday season. And no better excuse to fill up on mulled wine than a visit to a Christmas market.

Of course, we wouldn’t be iHeartBerlin if we sent you to the regular markets happening in the usual places – you know where to find those. We picked the more unique and special ones that often come with a little twist as well. Here goes our Christmas Market guide for 2021. (Mind you, they all call themselves “Winter Markets” these days for whatever reason that might be…)

Welcome to the ‘C/O Berlin Open House – hosted by Airbnb’

by Frank | Art, Charlottenburg, Events, Museums

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I’m sure that for many of us, Airbnb has completely changed the way we travel and experience cities and places over the past few years. Airbnb has opened doors to private homes, people’s lives and otherwise hard to reach places, giving us a more immersive travel experience than we could have ever imagined.

For some time now, Hosts can not only offer their homes on Airbnb, but also experiences. Just like the many unique stays on Airbnb, these experiences are offered by Hosts around the world who offer their guests authentic adventures for every conceivable interest.

A Different Kind of Selfcare Guide

by Frank | Stories

If we’ve learned anything in the past 1,5 years is that we really really need to be more aware of our own mental health and wellbeing than ever before. Self-care was of course already a thing before the pandemic, but it certainly reached a wider audience during it due to the mental stress and isolation many of us went through.

But of course, self-care is a very subjective practice and everyone has a different understanding of it. From sharing inspirational quotes on Instagram, visiting yoga classes, or taking the time to cook a healthy dinner for one – self-care has so many faces. My personal version of self-care is taking a long bath with tinted green lights while fantasizing about hikes in the tropical jungle, and sometimes I take myself out to brunch alone. On the other hand, we have this writer who joins orgies as a form of self-care. Well, everyone to their own, right?

Our partner in crime Sophia Halamoda, with who we published the fabulous Like A Berliner book, has come out with an adorable comic about her own self-care routine, and let’s say, it is really of a different kind… But look for yourself!

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