Anyone notice? People outside, coffee places are packed, there is even sun. I am thinking we made it past the winter, without greater winter snow. Spring is here, spring is here!

I hate venting about the weather because the weather is obvious and you can do little to change it (aside from this global warming thing), but I had this post sitting for about a week and a half now since this other thing, which I like to call Not-Spring, came back. Brr…

Just had to get it out.

Now continue.

Tags: berlin, weather, cold, spring, winter

AFFINITIES shows a selection of recent acquisitions of the Deutsche Bank Collection. Under the curatorship of Ariane Grigoteit, the exhibition pairs off new acquisitions with masterpieces from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville Paris, the Dakis Joannou Foundation and hitherto never shown works from the Deutsche Bank Collection itself. This new series of exhibitions will now take place every spring presenting recent acquisitions for the Deutsche Bank Collection at the Berlin Guggenheim

It is a curious curatorial conceit that results in exhibitions that pair artists together in a ‘compare and contrast’ exhibitions, as if we are all still trapped in school together and must perform homework exercises to strengthen our art appreciation skills. Such is the case at the Affinities show now hanging at the Deutsche Guggenheim on Unter den Linden. Amusingly one of the pieces in this exhibit - Fernand Leger’s Les Constructeurs au cordage, pictured above, I last saw in an exhibition at the Museum Ludwig in Köln where Leger’s works had been hung in a similar ‘compare and contrast’ exhibition with works by Max Beckmann. Part of me understands that one can only hang an artist’s work so many times before it becomes an exercise in redundancy and it can be enlightening to create an exhibit that traces relationships between artists or the societies they inhabit. Unfortunately a more cynical part of me suspects that since these works are new acquisitions by the Deutsche Bank that relating them to works by more established artists is an intriguing method of ensuring that the market value of their new assets trends in the preferred direction.
Either way there is some interesting work in the show (though i found most of the new acquisitions less interesting than the works they were being compared to). I particularly enjoyed the Kai Althoff and Diamantis Sotiropoulos pieces as well as the large format works of Yan Pei-Ming. Certainly worth checking out - and remember Mondays are FREE!

Affinities
bis 24 June 2007
Deutsche Guggenheim
Unter den Linden 13/15
Daily von 11 bis 20 Uhr
Thursday bis 22 Uhr

The Nemo era is over, now it is the time of Knut. Half of Berlin’s citizens plus tourists seem to be in the Zoo every day to see the little icebear and enjoy the sunny spring weather, while the Aquarium is pretty empty. Perfect time to go to the Aquarium! Okay, not much sun there, but also no people who stand on your feet, who walk into the photos you want to take, who block sight on the animals, who buy the last icecream a minute before you order it or annoy you with constant “aaaaaw” shouting. I have to admit that I don’t like zoos, because I take pity on big-sad-eyed mammals jailed in cages, but I don’t feel that much for fish or insects, so aquariums are fine with me. Although it is not cheap, I had a nice time there and I think at the moment you get most of your money.
And finally you’ll find Nemo..or at least some of his friends!

Did you know that today is the (international) World Day for Water?

I know the description sounds a bit clumsy, but this is for real. The U.N. created this day in 1992 to remind everyone of the effective use of water - especially in countries (most likely outside of Europe and North America) where water is not understood as a matter of course and life depends on the effecient use of the resource.

To celebrate the Day of Water, Berlin features water in two physical conditions - rain and snow. That’s right. After celebrating spring, we are back to winter.

Tags: Berlin, World Day for Water

According to the calender today was the first day of spring. And what happened? It started snowing! What is going on? I want last week’s 20°C back… sitting under blossoming trees and ice only in form of icecream, please!

berlin, spring

Can you feel the city waking up from the evil darkness of the winter and shivering in the mildness of the coming spring?

I do.

We’re back again!

You have read it all before. And lately Al Gore’s been touring around with his movie to emphasize… or something.

The change in climate constantly gets an ass kicking everywhere.
Global warning is a swearword before all.
The automobile industry in particular is guilty anyway.
Last but not least we all need to be more environmental friendly.

Of course.

But you know, thanks to all of the above we already have spring with a touch of summer this year.
So hooray from my side and big thank you! ;-)

Tags: berlin, global warming, climate

Today is one of those days where I leave home thinking, “nah, don’t need the cam” and then it’s one of those beautiful, beautiful days with bright blue skies and sun - just screaming, “Take a picture, take a fuckin’ picture!”.

For those not familiar with it yet, we are now heading straight towards the season where it just rocks to be in Berlin. (One of them!) The sun, the city, the people, parks, coffees and so on. Can’t wait for spring, summer and then - well, forget then for now!

But I see you guys until then.

Tags: berlin

Long absence due to preparing an exhibition … I could have been anywhere and I didn´t notice anything going on in this city.
But what i did notice is the change of light and the hope it carries that spring might be around the corner.
And i noticed those facade things that are supposed to make those formerly drab brownish grey buildings look a bit more friendly. One might question the taste of such improvements, but honestly, they made me laugh and somehow they work. (I wonder how this will look after a couple of Berlin winters, but hey, let´s not be like that)