When I was little, I thought that all things in life needed to follow a given structure. Like the mail that goes through the postal system, or like my big sister following her daily schedule for school. Similar to Pacman we move within a certain frame from A to B, as quickly and efficiently as trains on railroad tracks, with those few stops along the way, where we can either get off and change trains or just carry on till the end. It’s safe, I learned. It’s comfortable. It seemed like this is simply how things in life function as well as how we grow and evolve. We go to kindergarten, preschool, high school, university and start working to build a career, which asks for commitment and endurance. So, people in their 20s like me, who have been following these sort of systems all their lives, are slowly starting to lose stamina; Wait, what was this dream again I used to follow…?
The options, what to make of yourself and your life, are endless. The stories of people who have dared to go off the grid, are all over the internet. Are we still having this one dream, or is the dream now to squeeze as many achievements under our belt as possible? Is there still that one position you still dream of working in or has it become many or even none?
Read on…
by Franziska | People, Stories
photo: BORSHCH
In recent years Berlin has become an international hub for creatives from all around the globe. Affordable living costs, creative freedom and living a life off the beaten track made the German capital an attractive moving destination, chosen over buzzing cities like London or New York more and more. And where there is creative energy, there are people coming together to start new and exciting projects whether in music, film, fashion or something completely different. But, starting something new is oftentimes easier said than done. So, what do you have to reckon with when you start a “Do it yourself” project, and what role does Berlin play in that process? We met up with two “DIY” experts who know.
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by Andy | Art, People, Stories
Last night I was witness to a great a moment: The wall came down. And I’m not talking about the Berlin Wall, which coincedently also came down exactly 20 years ago. I’m talking about the wall between reality and dream. While I missed the opening hours of the Checkpoint to cross the border into the land of dreams, I was at least able to see the final performance of this giant art project called DreamYourTopia, when the walls were torn down by sledgehammers and chainsaws and the border tower was flipped over and smashed into the ground.
Some of the visitors seemed disappointed by their border crossing experience. I guess they expected some friendly hippies that greeted them with flower necklaces and guided them over to the land of dreams. But these border officers were tough and didn’t make it easy for anyone. Good so! If it would be easy then it wouldn’t be so special, would it? More impressions after the jump.
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by Frank | Art
This weekend you can finally dive into your own dreams. All you have to do is come to Checkpoint DreamYourTopia at Stattbad Wedding. It is a big art performance by Dutch artist Dadara. He is currently building the border checkpoint that you can see above into the pool of the Stattbad. Find out what happens on the other side after the click.
Read on…
by Frank | Art, Events
After a bit of back and forth with my application form (I had forgotten to fill out some fields, so I had to do it all over again) I finally received my new passport to travel into the land of dreams. I even got a bit of welcome money. Haha, so you do not only get welcome money when fully registering here in Berlin.
I like the idea of having a different currency in your dreams. Euros and Dollars become meaningless as you can have just everything you want without being wealthy. Your favorite drink costs you nothing more than a moment of your dream. But what is the price you pay for indulging in your dreams when you have to come back into reality after all where everything is tied to your financial situation again?
I guess I will find that out. My trip to the land of dreams is scheduled for this Saturday…
by Frank | Stories
photo: Sol S.
After I wrote this article about dreams and reality last week I received an eMail by someone named Sam. He told me that there kind of is a way to find what I was looking for. I asked him what he meant by that and he told me something about this gateway between our everyday life and our dreams. I was like, yeah, right… But he said he is not talking about some Sci-Fi shit. It is something more of a mental thing. Okay…
He explained to me that it involves a process. He talked about formalities, a passport and some kind of check point. It all sounded rather strange. But to be honest, whatever it is, I’m intrigued!
by Frank | Stories
photo: Sol S.
Last night was the first Friday night in a very long time that I did not go out and went to bed early. Every other Saturday I come home sometime in the morning, instantly fall asleep and rest like a dead person. But this time my night was filled with wake moments and dreams. It made me realize how nice it is to have dreams. You know, these kinds of dreams that start when you are still awake and your mind plays around with your wishes and desires. And then at some point you drift off and loose control over what happens. Sometimes these dreams become awkward, sometimes sexual, sometimes scary – but in most cases quite interesting. I like remembering them in the morning.
Especially on a grey autumn day these dreams seem to be so much more appealing then the dull reality. And without beeing all to melancholic, I remember a time when I wished that I could somehow cross over to these dream worlds to escape my own reality. Even if it was just for a little bit.
Wouldn’t that be neat?
by Frank | Stories
