Stasi Curtains:
For the last 2 weeks I have been struggling with an essay I have been trying to write about curtains that I photographed at the Stasi Museum.
Here are the pictures themselves, as a sneak preview and to make me finish my essay…
Postcard from Berlin 6:
Two Very Different Artist Suppliers and a Tasty Meal:
Yesterday I went looking for materials. I visited Kunst Stoffe, a warehouse offering recycled material, workshops for hire (wood and textiles) and operating community based events.
http://www.kunst-stoffe-berlin.de/
The materials warehouse is open on Fridays only, and houses a huge stock of fabric, wood, paint, paper, and other odds and ends. Kunst Stoffe is easily reached from the Pankow S-Bahn stop.
I heard about Kunst Stoffe through a talk at the Berliner Kulturafel, given by artist Corina Vosse who runs the Warehouse.
http://www.berliner-kulturtafel.de/
The Kulturafel talks are delivered by artists and are mainly aimed at the community of Lichtenberg, home to the Stadthaus Museum where the talks are held (the location also of my residency).
The events include a very tasty and cheap meal prepared in the Museums 'social kitchen', and are arranged by photographer Michael Harms. During the evening we had an interesting conversation about Germany's policy of '1 euro' jobs (i.e. the rate of pay):
These are a government initiative for people who have been unmeployed for over a year: they are intended to be supplementary community work and not to take the place of proper paid employment. In practice though, many jobs that artists might take (i.e. community workshops, museum invigilation etc) are actually now filled with these 1 euro posts impacting upon common sources of artists income…
You can see Michael Harms photographic work at
Next I went to Boesners
http://web-01.boesner.dus.de.serverscope.net/
a large traditional art material suppliers on Marienburger Str 16, selling everything from large stretchers, to frames, clay, rock, paint, paper etc. The nearest S-Bahn stops (either Prenzlauer or Greifswalder on the ring) are a bit of a hike away so either take a trolley for all your goodies or a tram stop might get you nearer.
Postcard from Berlin 5:
Kunstlerhaus Bethanien:
Kunstlerhaus Bethanien is a gallery and studios set in a stunning former hospital building and park in Marianplatz, near the Ubahn stop Kottbusser Tor.
As well as providing 25 studio spaces, accommodation and gallery space, the organization also undertakes an impressive range of activity including residencies, cultural project workshops, publishing, media labs and artists advisory services.
The residency programme can only be applied to through partner organizations, which can be found on the website below. Unfortunately at present it has no UK based partners – somebody fill that gap!
The gallery is located in Kreuzberg, a largely Turkish area: with more than half of all Berlin's buildings damaged or destroyed during WW2, Kreuzberg is home to a considerable pocket of pre-war architecture, it is worth a stroll to soak up both the contemporary and historical here.
Postcard from Berlin 4:
Weekly meetings for English Speaking Artists in Berlin.
Last night I went to a park in Schonhauser Allee in the north of the city, looking for a group of 'English Speaking Artists'. I found them in a nearby bar – The Bird – which had been selected as a 'bad weather' contingency meeting place.
The meetings are advertised on Craig's list
http://berlin.craigslist.org/ats/332621611.html
It is run by Paul Tilyard (web link below), an artist from Tasmania who has spent nearly a year living/working in Berlin. He described to me during the evening how he came to Berlin to meet more artists – the arts scene being somewhat smaller in his hometown – only to find himself isolated and working alone in his studio.
Resolving to do something about it, he advertised a weekly meeting point for English Speaking Artists on the Craig’s List site. After two months with some "disappointing" small meetings (1 to 4 people), a critical mass was reached and the events really took off. On the night I visited there was a healthy mix of 15 – 20 frequent attendees, people (like myself) new and people passing through.
There were a variety of 'stories' from short stay visitors, local German artists to long-term ex-pats. It was interesting to hear about the range of tactics artists use to support themselves in the City, including private English tuition, cooking and literature lessons. If I decide to stay on in Berlin beyond my residency, these meetings would provide the kind of network needed to help locate studios and find work.
The evening had a pleasant, informal and sociable atmosphere – the group was 'non-cliquey' and I was made to feel welcome.
In many ways the initial motivation for the meetings is quite similar to those that prompted me to start the network newcastleGRAFT in the NE. I was impressed by Paul’s determination – not giving up in the winter months, when few people were attending.
I was left inspired by the brilliant usefulness of such a simple resource funded only by generosity and perseverance.
“The Shadow that trots behind us is definitely four footed…”
I went away for a couple of weeks recently (hence the quiet time on my blog). As I was leaving my apartment at 4am to catch the S Bahn to the airport, I realised I had forgotten to empty my rubbish. Making a quick journey + flight departure time assessment, I realised that I could not pause to find a torch and take it down and out into the backyard so – I shut the door and left.
Upon my return, a noon-twilight in my very hot and well sealed flat was cast by a dark net curtain of flies humming expectantly beneath drawn blinds (many lay gasping on the floor, whether through heatstroke or simply a natural closure to their life cycle I do not know) – a trail of small droppings laced around bloated belly rubbish bags.
One hour and much pine green liquid making improbable claims to shininess later, order was restored; though for the next two mornings, a hopeful trail of pooh has stretched across not as sparkly as promised expanses to the place where the rubbish bags used to squat.
The whole episode made me think of the theme of my work, how the wild(erness) is so close beneath our feet: in concrete gullies and utility channels behind white walls, waiting for the ripe aroma that says order has collapsed and is decaying.
I have brought a ‘capture not kill’ trap in the hope of becoming acquainted with my little visitor; it sits primed in my kitchen with a cartoon like lump of yellow cheese complete with holes. I imagine my visitor to be a mouse: it will be my friend and I may even build a special sculpture to keep it entertained. It brings to mind my favourite literary mouse in Froth on the Daydream (Boris Vian): gamely scrubbing paws down to fragile lace like knuckles in a noble but ultimately futile attempt to polish dimming tiles in a sick and decaying household.
I hope that my mouse, if I ever get to meet him, will be a much happier one. But then again I have wondered whilst looking at the evidence of my night time visitors, does anyone know, do cockroaches pooh…?
"I often dream of myself mining; like mining any truly creative journey involves an act of faith - and a moment of madness - compelling us to reach beyond that which is known." After graduating with an MFA from Newcastle University in 2002, I lived and worked in the NE of England undertaking residencies and commissions. In 2007 following a 6-month residency in Berlin, I relocated to London. My work develops from a site or community, using installation, photography, video, performance and writing. I have set up 2 artists networking groups - newcastleGRAFT and ESAB (Berlin) with over 200 members.
