Berlin Metblogs » ber_julia

I Can You Can We Can

ber_julia — Thu, 31 May 2007 23:13:25 +0000

Although the We-Can Project is not from Berlin and its current exhibition is also not in the capital, but at Galerie Fango in Cottbus, I really want to present the project here. Not only because some Berlin-based artists contributed to We-Can, but also because lots of fantastic artists from all over the world did - and because I just love that project!
The idea is as simple as ingenious: to send a little yellow plastic watering can to artist-friends all over the world, “from Cottbus to Singapur, from San Jose to Bern, from Brighton to New York” as it is written on Froodmat’s (the project’s initiator) blog, and wait and see what they will do with it!
And they did great stuff: have a look at the We-Can flickr group to get an impression or read about all the participating artists on the aforementioned blog.
Or even better: if you have any possibility to go to Cottbus in the near future, visit the exhibition - the can-art will be shown until the middle of june.

Tags: art, we-can-project, streetartists, cottbus, exhibition, photos

Marthashof

ber_julia — Sun, 06 May 2007 01:24:13 +0000

Tee(r) und Federn Blog writes about the compound of the former Marthashof in Schwedter Str (that was called Verlorener Weg = Lost Lane in the times of the Marthashof), where the buildings were razed to the ground in the last weeks. These were unspectacular buildings from GDR times, but built on grounds rich with history. The Marthashof was a hospice for young women who came from the countryside to the big city in the search for a better life which often ended in exploitation and prostitution.
Later it became a school for maidservants and nannies. Parts of it were destroyed in WW 1, rebuilt and it was a hiding-place for Jewish women during the Nazi regime until it was finally destroyed in the war 1943.
Tee(r) und Federn and me wonder if anybody knows something about the future plans for the premises??

Tags: berlin, blogging, marthashof

Style of the Streets

ber_julia — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:47:40 +0000

If you are into streetfashion and love magazines like FRUiTS, websites like Hel Looks, Flickr groups such as this or that, you should definitly check out Stil in Berlin. Here you find pictures of people that are dressed stylish (in the opinion of the authors of that blog) or funny (in the opinion of the moderator Holgi of the radio show Trackback, where they were interviewed last week - right before me actually, to make some selfpromotion ;) ). They even have an exhibition here in Berlin at the Postfuhramt. Have a look and form your own opinion or let them take a photo of your style!

April 20 - May 8, 2007
Tue-Sun 11-18 hours

CREATE Berlin Showroom
Postfuhramt Berlin
Oranienburger Str. 35-36
10117 Berlin

Special Olympics

ber_julia — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:58:32 +0000

On Flickr I saw this fantastic photoset by Jonas K of the Olympic Village in Elstal / Dallgow-Döberitz just a few kilometers outside of Berlin. It shows the decay of the premises built to accommodate the athletes of the Olympics of 1936 in Nazi-Germany.
After the games the compound was used military for some decades until it was abandoned in 1992. Today it is landmarked but still deteriorating and open for the public from april to october.
Click here for more infos (in German) and pictures.

Photos: Jonas K

berlin, olympisches dorf, olympics

Members only!

ber_julia — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:51:16 +0000

There are stories to tell about more or less every old building in the centre of Berlin. Most of them experienced so many changes: of owners, of functions, of appearance… An interesting example is the building at the corner Torstr / Prenzlauer Allee.

It was built in 1928/29 as a warehouse called “Kreditkaufhaus Jonass” where poor people had the possibility to purchase goods on credit. It is one of the very few remaining examples of the extraordinary architecture style which used to dominate the appearance of the Scheunenviertel at that time.
The owners were Jewish business partners and under Nazi rule their property was taken away by force and not only “arianized” but from 1942 on even used as the headquarter of the Hitler Youth.
After WW2 the East German Communist Party SED took over the building and it became their corridors of power and was soon (ironically in a divided country like Germany at that time..) renamed “Haus der Einheit” (House of Unity).
From 1959 to 1990 it was used as “Institut für Marxismus-Leninismus” and archive of the Communist Party.
After the Berlin Wall came down it was closed and since 1995 it is deserted and decay resumed power over the premises. It was difficult for the community of heirs to find a buyer at a good price. Just a short while ago a British-owned members club called Soho House stepped in. They plan to transform it into an exclusive club with a swimming pool, cinema and fitness centre. Once again access will be for members only…

Foto by M. Stahl

berlin, history, architecture

Don’t park hier pleas!

ber_julia — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:35:46 +0000

We speak fery gut Englisch hier in Börlin!

Buildings & Bridges

ber_julia — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:04:51 +0000

The streetart gallery Deathless is currently showing works of the Berlin based stencilist Boxi.
Check it out!

Tags: berlin, streetart, art, boxi

Flowerpower

ber_julia — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:39:58 +0000

At the moment it seems like all Berlin people are longing for sun and every bit of nature they can get: parks are crowded and covered by BBQ smoke, in the forests around Berlin you’ll get run over by bikes every second, brave people start dipping in the lakes and the first naked sunbathers were spotted already last weekend.
I have been out of Berlin in Werder (Havel) and now is just the right time to go there! All the fruit trees are blossoming, fresh green grass and leaves dare a glance out of their winter hideouts, glistening water whereever you look… and not too many people around. If you like it more “lively” and need more entertainment you should go there between 28th of April and 6th of May to attend the popular Baumblütenfest and have a few glasses of the (in-)famous fruitwine!

Tags: berlin, baumblütenfest

Nature Seeks Its Way

ber_julia — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 03:56:26 +0000

… even in the grayest corners of Berlin!

Tags: berlin, urban nature, flowers

D’oh!

ber_julia — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 02:19:24 +0000

Two nights ago Homer Simpson went for a walk on Kastanienallee. No, I am not making fun of some fancy Mitte people who like to promenade here. Homer himself was here, shuffling on the walls of the houses of Kastanienallee in form of a video projection. Unfortunatly I didn’t have my camera with me to show you pictures of it and I couldn’t find something about it on the internet so far, although there was one guy with a video camera following the car which carried the projector. Does anyone know something about that project? I am curious to get more information…

Tags: homer simpson, berlin