What to see in Berlin, Berlin blog

In 1923, due to the increasing dissonance between the expressionist style of the painter Lothar Schreyer, member of the Berliner group ‘Sturm’, and the aesthetic foundations of the Bauhaus, which aspired to achieved a synthesis of all arts through pure forms, he was substituted as the director of the scenic workshops of the school, an essential part of the interdisciplinary plan of studies of the project of Walter Gropius, who aspired both to the elimination of barriers between artists and artisans as well as the acknowledgement of the possibility that art could influence in industrial production.

The successor to Schreyer was Oskar Schlemmer, who during the period between 1923 and 1929 transformed the Bauhaus scenic workshops into a pioneer multidisciplinary centre of experimental work that reflected, through dynamic ways, the artistic and technological sensitivities of the school.

The most representative result of this work was his seminal Triadic Ballet, that contained all the spectrum of Schlemmer’s theory on performance and which is, today, probably still the most interesting and complete fusion of dance, music and costume (that extended in space the contours of the body, a true driving force behind performance, through the use of metal, fabric and wires that transformed the actors into abstract figures) that had never been staged before.

Schlemmer’s works are a double witness on one hand of the tight and live existing relation between art and fashion in contemporary times and on the other of an era, the period between the wars in which Germany was one of the great capitals, not only of artistic avant-garde but also of fashion, able to compete in its own way with countries such as France or Italy in this field.

After having great success for many years in Barcelona, the international urban fashion festival Bread & Butter, possibly the most important one in the world in its field, has been hosted in Berlin since 2010, and will host its next edition from the 18th to the 20th of January in the centric and emblematic Tempelhof airport, which has been closed to air traffic for many years (http://www.breadandbutter.com/winter2012/). This is an event which is like a way of travelling to those unique times on board of no lesser special aeroplane able to dig out past, present and future, a legitimate sphere of relativity where art adapted to fashion seems to be moving in its own sphere, full of possibly, as Marshall McLuhan said, a certain infallibility that fills in some way the sensorial emptiness created by the different misplacements caused by technology.

It seems that a lot of time has gone by since Schlimmer’s experiments, although we still can’t say, like Chesterton, if the world is young or old, but the German capital is today like it used to be before, one of the most avant-gardist and vibrant cities in the West.

Paul Oilzum

If you rent apartments in Berlin around these dates, submerge yourself in the fascinating world of Bread & Butter, a festival that in barely ten years has become the most important in Europe.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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The Charlottenburg Palace is one of the most famous buildings in the city of Berlin, because since it was built in the late seventeenth century, it occupied a prominent place in the cultural world of Germany and also of Europe.

The kings of Prussia ordered the construction of this palace, which is majestic no matter how you look at it. Visiting it is not only a good plan for tourists, but for the Berlin public who appreciate good art either in a restaurant or in an opera house.

On January 20, 2012, all the tourists who are in magical Berlin, will be able enjoy in a special way the Charlottenburg Palace . The plan proposed by the organizers of the event is that visitors tour the Palace in the morning (from 10 to 16 hours) and then get ready for dinner to be held in the Orangerie Restaurant, a ballroom gala, which also belongs the Palace. Dinner time is from 18 to 20 hours, because at 20.30 am the beginning of the concert is programmed. The menu is exquisite and offers variants for all tastes. Appetizers, main course and dessert, so all the guests will leave the restaurant satisfied to the concert hall to enjoy the music

The Berlin Palace Orchestra will be playing for almost two hours the most beautiful musicals of all time. Taking a journey from baroque to classicism. Viewers are immersed in the musical stream and are carried away by the warm sounds of wind and string instruments. This Orchestra is known worldwide and organizes tours to give everyone a chance to hear them, but to be performing in the Charlottenburg Palace is a privilege for all of those who are in Berlin.

For more information visit: http://www.spsg.de/index.php?id=134 or http://www.concerts-berlin.com

Photo: (c) SPSG

d.b

Spending a full day in the Charlottenburg Palace is a treat that tourists can enjoy , especially if they rent apartments in Berlin and thus you will be near the best attractions in the city.

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Translated by: Marc
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Everyone is still talking about the global crisis which affects the economy, the bad management of the banks, the mortgages and the lack of work. Happily in this global catastrophe, the people have gone out on the streets to take over their own destiny, and thousands of groups of outraged people from around the world, from Cairo to New York, have let us all know that the system is obsolete, that it’s time to reconsider that democracy as an axis of capitalism, that the governments controlled by ever-authoritative military powers and that the impunity of some politicians and companies cannot go any further.

There’s a crisis just as alarming as the economical one, the one of natural resources in the world and the great harm that it’s causing the Earth after too many years of indiscriminate extraction of natural resources. Deforestation, the disappearance of species, areas and communities destroyed by the extraction of minerals, water contamination and contamination by nuclear waste are just some of the great calamities that the planet is facing. Unfortunately, many of these harms are the result of the abuses made by private companies who, in the long term, aren’t penalized by the national or local governments who, instead, due to their political and, especially, economic interests, turn the page in everyone’s face.

There are however various organizations on a local and international level who are in charge of taking care of nature and to denounce these atrocities. In the same way, it’s important that the food producers are aware of new ways to produce without harming the environment. There are many small and big companies that, today, are more aware on the production of food in an ecologic way.

And so, Grüne Woche, Green Week in English, is an international event in Berlin as well as an 80 year old tradition. During this week, the public, companies, organizations and producers, all related to agriculture and horticulture, as well as other products such as wines, cheeses, meats, bread and ecological bio-products, gather in an intense week where the food markets are discussed, where business exchange is possible, as well as raising awareness on the current situation regarding the food production in Europe. With representatives from around the world who carry out talks, seminars, conferences from political authorities and a lot of fun involved in sampling wine and other foods, Grüne Woche is definitely a place where you can meet people who are interested in the most select products and the most recent techniques in sustainable production. Recommended for all people of all ages. For more information on the event, tickets and timetables, visit the official webpage: http://www.gruenewoche.de/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and be part of this convention where food producers from around the world will gather to share their products. New ideas on the market and food production will be within your reach.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Until the 5^th of February, the Kunstbibliothek presents the work of the graphic artists Hans Hillman and Jirí Salamoun in an exhibition entitled I Dreamt I Was a Dog That Dreams. The organizers of the exhibition borrowed the name from a book by Hans Hillman to characterize the type of humor used by these two great artists that work with dreams, that metamorphosis that causes the unexpected.

The interesting thing about this exhibition is the introduction to the imaginative worlds of these two great graphic artists, who are halfway between dreams and reality. The exhibition invites the viewer to be part of this work and calls us to find fun in that space that lies in the path of the exhibition. Are their works a perfect mimesis, or just the sensual appearance of the exterior images of things, as the lexis described by Plato? Discovering this is the task of every spectator in this fantastic transit through the imagination and creation, which bring us together Hillman and Salamoun.

Hans Hillman was born in 1925. He was known for his film posters from the middle of the last century. His early start as a graphic designer, began while a student at the University of Kassel with his participation in a contest that couldn’t win, but which puts him in his particular showcase that blends art, design and avant-garde aesthetics conceptuality.

In his own words, the beginnings of his career occurred in a devastated Germany. It was only in the post-war that movies came roaring back and the film club was created, where he participated in his first movie poster contest. From there he continues to works for the best films in the world.

One of his best-known works is the graphic design for the poster of Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin. The black and white poster only have two guns in perspective and the name of the movie at the bottom, but the graphic force, which it has, makes the ideological background of the film understandable.

Jirí Salamoun was born in 1935 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He was an illustrator, graphic designer and creative, he became famous for his comic works as Figure Maxipista, for his participation in the cartoon that became a bedtime TV series stories and wrote several books. Between 1961 and 1989, he designed about twenty film posters. In 1990 he directed the graphic illustration section of the School of Applied Arts in Prague.

Salamoun used the color palette without any complex, his works are reminiscent surreal colorful, naive and full of images that break expressiveness of traditional graphic design rules of the 50’s and 60’s in his country, whose concepts were traditional in forms and background. Salamoun was an avant-garde in the graphic design work, who expanded beyond the traditional media.

For more information http://www.smb.museum/smb/kalender/details.php?objID=24922&datum=16.11.2011+00:00

Nancy Guzman

New Year is a good time to take a few days off and if you stay in apartments in Berlin you will be able to enjoy the best of this beautiful city.

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Translated by: Hans
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Post Hardcore, Metal Hardcore or Screamo whatever the exact classification of music it is, the truth is that one of the most admired bands by teenagers who enjoy the new hardcore is “Alesana”. It is an American band formed in Baltimore in 2004, which has leapt from the garage of one of its member’s house to the most famous stages in the world.

Alesana’s history dates back to the first notes and compositions that two of its members, Patrick Thompson and Shawn Milke, who performed in the garage of a house on Aliceanna Street, from which the name of the band was inspired. After these first steps in music, in 2004 the vocalist Dennis Lee, drummer Daniel Magnuson and bassist Steven Tomany joined the band, and they recorded their first EP “Try This With Your Eyes Closed “. After this first work, fame came very quickly for these guys, later they added a new guitarist and embarked on creating their first album with the label Tragic Hero.

With its three albums, Alesana has obtained good positions in Billboard magazine, in addition to good reviews, especially from its latest work which incorporates a classical string trio. The concert on the 23^rd of January at Columbia Club in Berlin, is even four times better as Alesana will be accompanied by three other bands: Iwrestledabearonce, We Came as Roman and Glamour of the Kill (do not mix it with Glamour to Kill, which is another band). The event starts at 7 p.m., price as well as all necessary information you can find on the website of Columbia Club.

For more information visit: http://www.c-club-berlin.de/events.html

Luz Obscura

One of the winter evenings will be heated by the energy of four bands in the Columbia Club. Rent apartments in Berlin and shout with all your strength together with Alesana and others.

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Translated by: Hans
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In Berlin there are multiple options to spend the best nights of your life. Its not enough to simply scan the city during the day, nights in Berlin can be endless. There are some neighborhoods or areas of the city that may appear more interesting than others, depending clearly on what your style and  what you want. Kreuzberg is a neighborhood where a lot of young people go to enjoy beer, food at a cheap price, concerts, bars, and other options. However, towards the center of the city there are also some very interesting options, such as Millimeter Acht Bar, located in part of what was formerly East Berlin.

Today Berlin is gripped by massive “gentrification” , like all big cities of the world. Sometimes it seems that Berlin is the new Miami. The invasion of tourists during the best times of year make visiting the city passable but it ¡s  somewhat lethargic. At the eastern areas of the city, where the wall stood, now is the paradise for hordes of hipsters where you can find the most curious shops, alternative restaurants and bars, as well as places to dance and spend the remainder of the night. The bars in Berlin sometimes open just after three o’clock in contrast to other European cities. It depends on where you are and the licensing of these spaces. Nothing beats a night out in Berlin.

The 8MM, Acht Milimetter Bar, is one of the best ways to spend your nights in the city center. The bar is a very comfortable and modern space, and offers variety of drinks, beers and cocktails you’ll love. Furthermore, some of the best DJ’s from Berlin go there to play the best underground music you can find. This bar is also the headquarters of a record label that bears the same name. The label has in its ranks  three very interesting bands of the neo-psychedelia movement. One of them is the Icelandic band Singapore Sling , influenced by Spacemen 3 and Jesus and Mary Chain, among other lysergic acts of the 80′s. Their sound is extremely narcotic, and with six albums already released they are part of the new wave of classic international psychedelic.

In the same direction, playing shoegaze guitars and programmed drums is the band The December Sound, who play noisy and strident melodic pop . The most recent discovery of this little label was the German band The Blue Angel Lounge. Their latest album, produced by Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre is a new jewel of neo psychedelia.

For more info on this great bar, and the record label, visit their website by clicking here:http://www.8mmbar.com/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy its fascinating and varied nightlife. Berlin also offers you the best of underground music and art you can find today.

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Translated by: Marc
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Fernando Paterna

To visit Berlin at this time of year is a spectacle, yes do not forget to wrap up well before going out. apartments in Berlin is a very good choice to live for a few days in the Germanic capital and enjoy its charms.

Translated by: Marc
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The relation between performance and Germany has been long and fruitful, at least from the time of the Bauhaus, which, regardless of the pioneering work, later developed by Oskar Schlemmer- whose importance as a theoretical-practical and especially through the development of its mechanical ballets could hardly be exaggerated- we can attribute the institution of the first year of performance in an art school in 1921.

And not as a mere anecdote or eccentricity but, as an essential aspect of the interdisciplinary plan of study of the legendary school that originally attracted to the city of Weimar: artists, designers and architects such as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Alma Buscher, László Moholy-Nagy, Walter Gropius, Ida Kerkovius, Lothar Schreyer (the expressionist painter, playwright and member of the Berlin Sturm group to oversee the first scheduled performance courses, faithful to the proverb that says “the work being performed on stage is a work of art ” or the mentioned Schlemmer among others.

With such background, it isn’t surprising that the performance festival Tanztage in Berlin, which celebrates its twenty-first edition in the German capital between the 5th and the 15^th ofJanuary, at the Sophiensäle (http://www.sophiensaele.com/ kalender_2.php) enjoys such as excellent reputation.

Tanztage was founded in 1996 at the instigation of Barbra Friedrich and Benjamin Schlälike, with the intention of offering performance and contemporary dance young artists the possibility to develop their work on stage. The objective behind the festival was to create a scene that could gather and publicize performance artists to budding of the city, since this form of artistic expression doesn’t often have advertising or broadcast media.

With the appointment of Peter Pleyer as artistic director in 2008, the festival gained a new boost to expand the number and variety of its proposals.

The history of performance art, performed live by artists who build their own definition of it in practice, speaking to us from the early twentieth century’s avant-garde, in an open environment that offers endless variables and has attracted artists, who by one reason or another, felt that the established art forms are somewhat limited, especially the ones regarding the possibility of expressing their art directly to the public. Anarchy, deterritorialization and the inability to be well defined are typical characteristics of an art that makes use of indiscriminate and free literature, poetry, dance, theater, music, painting, architecture, sculpture and audiovisual media.

Paul Oilzum

The wide varied and often interesting Tanztage’s program is an excellent way to become aware of how ductile and challenging this art form is. If you rent apartments in Berlin during January, dare to be surprised by the young performers in the city.

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Translated by: Hans
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Start this 2012 by doing something you haven’t done before something incredible, exciting, demanding, something that makes you feel that you are alive! Earn the right to live by using your body for good, give thanks to life that you are healthy!

On the 8th of January, 2012, the legendary stairclimbing race Tower-Run Berlin, will gather towerrunning fans at the tallest residential building in Germany, the IDEAL-Hochhaus in the Gropiusstadt neighborhood in the German capital.

A stairclimbing race is completely different than a marathon. In a stairclimbing race, participants depart from the starting point individually, being sent at intervals of ten seconds apart from each other. Thus most of the race, participants are completely alone in competition with themselves, so even though short, these careers are very demanding physically and mentally.

The first competition of this kind took place in the majestic Empire State Building in New York City in 1978 and since then, this discipline has not stopped gaining fans. Nowadays, hundreds of similar competitions are celebrated in the world, including: Taipei 101 (Taipei), Tower 42 (London), Eureka Tower (Melbourne), Torre Colpatria (Bogotá), tower in which the World Cup 2011 took place, among many others.

At 11:00 am on the 8th of January, and after a few warm up laps in the parking lot of the building, participants will climb the 400 meters, 465 steps and 29 floors of the iconic Berlin residential building, fighting in a second to none competition, where the self-knowledge and mental strength will play a leading role. There are three categories in this competition: Women, Masters and Beginners.

Find complete information about the Tower-Run here: http://www.tus-neukoelln.de/he.pl?category=00000822&article=00004117

Join the hundreds of athletes who will gather at this traditional competition and break down those mental barriers that scream in your head YOU CAN’T!

Hans

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy the sporting traditions of this beautiful city.

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Translated by: Hans
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When in 330 BC the troops of Alexander triumphantly entered Persepolis, the fabulous capital of the Persian Empire which was ordered to build by Darius I, they must have found it difficult to acknowledge what was before their eyes.

On one hand, while they went up the wide, infinite rather, steps of the Gates of Xerxes, they were aware that they were taking possession of a symbolic object which was to justify all the Persian military campaigns, “the most hated city in the world” were the words of the feared Macedonian leader about the place that he’d come to destroy to avenge the distant memory of the Persian looting of Athens which had taken place fifty years before.

On the other hand, it’s not hard to guess that they probably felt totally astounded by the unprecedented wonder that they were facing. Every detail of the plains and the rooms of the royal palace (where they knew that up to 10,000 court members used to gather to welcome the Persian new year), was a witness of incommensurable wealth and glory, as well as magnificent engravings with golden decorations who used to astound the ambassadors from over 35 countries (including far away India, that they didn’t know that they would fatally go towards) which had queued up in those same rooms not long ago to present their valuable offering and receive blessings in exchange by the great King Darius and his God of Wisdom. To summarise, everything which has come to represent  Asian luxury in our imagination.

Nothing of it, however, could prepare them for the shock in the face of the magnitude of the treasure, which they found intact due to the precipitated escape of Darius III. A lavish treasure which went further than words could explain which would finance the campaigns of Alexander beyond the known world, just as he was told by his master Aristoteles when he was only a boy.

The surrender without resistance of the city, the fact that it didn’t make sense to destroy something which was now theirs and their usual strategy of always trying to win over a conquered population are reasons which don’t help to understand the near total destruction of Persepolis, ordered by Alexander a few months later, despite that classic sources have already aired the impulse to avenge what happened the previous century in Athens. What’s true is that, since then, one of the most legendary cities of ancient times were reduced to the regrettable condition of ruin and exposed to a wayward and accident prone destiny (thirty years, Islamic fundamentalists tried to obliterate what was left of it with bulldozers) despite the work of abnegated archeologists such as the members of the Teheran Departement of the German Archeological Institute, which was founded fifty years ago.

Regarding this anniversary, the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin has organized an exhibition until March 4th (http://www.smb.museum/smb/kalender/details.php?objID=31882) dedicated to the story of the trajectory and archeological findings (from the stone age to the Qajar dynasty) of the Institute in Iranian territory in the last five decades.

Paul Oilzum

It’s a thrilling exhibition which cannot be missed if you rent apartments in Berlin even if you’re not a big fan of archeology. It’s one which will create lasting hobbies.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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