German Lessons and Freestyle….
I have started taking German classes at the Volkshockschulen. I never thought it would be so much fun; the international group includes some really vibrant and interesting characters, and we laugh from start to finish as we all try to get a grasp on German verb conjugation and pronounce complex vocabulary with our varying accents. I thought it would be something I would not particularly enjoy, but here I find it fascinating and its something that I really look forward to. I have learnt so much already as we have an extremely competent teacher; and it’s so good to have something else to focus on alongside the arts. I would recommend taking up lessons to anyone moving to Germany for the first time.
I’ve had such a brilliant couple of weeks. The more people I meet here the more I realise how amazing it is, and how lucky I am to be here. The city is like no other I have ever been to; it’s so vibrant, so multi-cultural, and so easy going. Randomness is the norm here. On Thursday I walked past a man rapping to some music coming from his phone on the street, his friend sat watching intensely as his only audience member, as he poured out is lyrics with gusto. I saw a greyhound in the U-bahn wearing a stripy pirate t-shirt, looking as grunge as his owner. I went to the most amazing ballroom inside a place called Ball Haus last night, and it felt as soon as you walked through the door that you had been transported back to the 1950’s. www.ballhaus.de
There are so many hidden treasures here that have sadly been lost in consumerist-led England; so much history has been left here, still in working order and not stored in the back of some warehouse or museum. People are able to be comfortable in themselves- I’ve seen people walk down the street singing because they’re happy and they don’t get looked at and avoided as if completely crazy. Why shouldn’t you be able to sing and dance if you feel like it!
Ive been to too many openings and exhibitions these past couple of weeks to mention all of them- interesting projects include Torstrasse 166; which is a temporary exhibition situated in a block of flats that are due to be renovated. During the transitional phase from when the tenants move out to when the renovation begins, a selection of artists have been given an apartment each in which to create an installation. It is an interesting concept that the renovation company have organised and funded this type of project as part of their renovation process- imagine how many potentially amazing exhibitions could be created if English renovation companies were as supportive of the arts! Pieces that really effected my senses include Sissel Tolaas’s installation, where the smells left behind in the space from the last people who lived there were extracted, taken to a lab and enhanced, before being installed back in to the empty room. It was really powerful; notions surrounding the abject, nostalgia, and time were all part of the experience in this otherwise empty space.
Other interesting shows include Ingo Gerkin’s show at 20qm (www.20qmberlin.com); Hannes Schmidt at Nice and Fit Gallery on Brunnenstrasse (http://www.niceandfitgallery.com), and an exhibition at KW on Auguststrasse that has a number of strong pieces all referencing imprisonment (http://www.kw-berlin.de/). A film in this show by Robert Bresson entitled A Man escaped or: The Wind Bloweth Where it Listeth (1956) is particularly captivating- I was glued to my seat throughout all 99 minutes.
I am going back to the UK next week for some freelance work, and to also catch up with loved ones. It’s going to be very strange, it’s like I’m almost going back in time to a past life now I’m starting to get settled here. I feel like I’ve been here for years. It will be interesting to see how I feel when I come back to Berlin. Will I feel like I am coming home?
