People, places, things

[imomus]

Now, at the height of summer, Berlin is really at its best -- a vibrant yet leafy and laidback city with great weather, interesting events, enabling prices. Wherever I travel, I really love coming back here, and when travelers arrive (as they tend to do at this time of year) I welcome them to my adopted city with a kind of civic pride. Here are some glimpses of Berlin places and visitors from the last week or so.



Under a glowing red KINO sign, the backyard of Cocolo Ramen on Gippstrasse in Mitte recreates a street in Tokyo (possibly the only place I'd rather be).



Katharina Teichgraber is in town for a week, gathering material for a horspiel about Click Opera to be aired on the German public radio network in January. Bob Stein from Institute for the Future of the Book gave the keynote speech at a conference of electronic publishers.



Martin MacDonald, who's set up a Momus / Germlin live show at Stereo in Glasgow on July 27th, was in town for a few days with his Italian girlfriend. Jan Lindenberg has now graduated from the Berlin art school and landed an experimental design job in telecoms research. A less dangerous bicycle may now be on the cards.



Antonin Digiki Gautier -- seen here with new Berlin resident Kyoka Kyoka -- is visiting from Tokyo, gathering inspiration for a new album to be entitled "Childish". Our mutual friend Alin Huma should be arriving any day now.



Apart from Euro 2008 -- which certainly set the Turkish community celebrating on Friday night -- the thing which is enlivening Neukolln just now is 48 Hours Neukolln, a weekend of open door events across arty Neubeca. We spent the day yesterday discovering hidden beauty spots on our doorstep, including this gorgeous community garden right behind our building.



Neukolln creators have been opening their galleries, schools, apartments, cellars and lofts this weekend. It's fascinating to visit strangers and see how they live. The colourful and spacious loft above is Florian Japp's place on Weichselplatz, which is developing into a nice little area (great new ice café).

Comments

[niddrie-edge.livejournal.com]

Your land legs are back I take it or are you still in the air!

As a psychogeographer, or as Iain Sinclair puts it, a subscribed contributor to secular shamanism, the spaces, areas and doorsteps in this piece are energising. The play of light would impress even De Quincey.
Speaking of De Quincey, I was perusing antiquarian editions of his work and found the Suppers of Momus, of which you probably already know.
http://search.abaa.org/dbp2/book344674087.html

It always intrigued me in German class in the late 70s that the Turks were the main Gastarbeiter. I never fully worked out that relationship.
The absence of England (and to a lesser extent Scotland) from Euro 2008 has produced interesting meditations in the commentating media. A lot of "what if.." scenarios, even dare I say it, a respect for a "Euro" organisation!

[zazie-metro.livejournal.com]

How these pictures make me miss Berlin! I'll be back next week, see you hopefully in the 2 week interim before I head to the UK.

[imomus.livejournal.com]

I saw your boyfriend in The Wire! He was wearing exactly the same clothes as he was up at your flat!

[(Anonymous)]

Is Antonin going to have a concert or show or something?

-r

[imomus.livejournal.com]

No, I think it's just a holiday this time.

[wringham.livejournal.com]

I had a whale of a time there this week. Thanks for having me, Berlin.

[oedipamaas49.livejournal.com]

"developing into a nice little area"

And how. Walking down Weichselstr, it seems as though every other building is being refurbished, and we've had two little studio-galleries open on that street alone in the past 2 months. The area's changing ridiculously fast, even compared to the rest of north Neukölln.

: )

[(Anonymous)]

ah, good old martin! I used to play football w/him a few years ago, along with stuart murdoch, sci-fi stephen, and, your cousin, justin currie!!

: ) cozen

Re: : )

[imomus.livejournal.com]

Hey, did you check the Hillhead Halls video yesterday, Cozen? You lived there, no?

Re: : )

[(Anonymous)]

hey am am not so old ...who are you anyways? cozen...nice photo

Re: : )

[(Anonymous)]

I did, momus, brought back memories... tho who can say whether fond. well remembered that I lived there.

I presume the anonymous is martin. hi martin! I used to play on the tuesday 5s... a few years back (before I went to aberdeen) in fact. here's my photie (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cozen/2408916258/in/set-72157604634748622/).

david

[desant012.livejournal.com]

If plane tickets to Europe weren't $1,200 these days (not to count the horrible Euro/Dollar exchange rate) I would've like to have checked out Berlin before it became yet another richie rich playground like everywhere's becoming these days. Unfortunately even travel itself is starting to get out of reach.

[eclectiktronik.livejournal.com]

"Unfortunately even travel itself is starting to get out of reach."

....joys of a free market, eh!

[desant012.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I remember in 1999 it cost me $1,500 to spend 2 weeks in Germany. Now that barely covers getting there.

[eclectiktronik.livejournal.com]

I've noticed this recently too here in Madrid. In the past, as part of my art or teaching work, I'd come into contact with Americans from many walks of life. Now, there seems to be just a trickle of them coming to the city compared to say, 3 or 4 years ago. And inevitably now it's only a more homogenous, (upper-class, and frequently older) few around.

[eclectiktronik.livejournal.com]

"Neukolln creators have been opening their galleries, schools, apartments, cellars and lofts this weekend. "

There has been a similar initiative here in Madrid every year for the last few years in the Lavapies area. 'Los artistas del barrio' , or 'neighbourhood artists' was the name of it. Great stuff, very special glimpses.
I've managed to find a clip with English subtitles:

[harveyjames.livejournal.com]

Wow Antonin is looking good these days!

[imomus.livejournal.com]

He really has made a remarkable self-transformation. Five years ago he was a gangly, self-doubting nerd in unflattering 90s glasses. Japan, sex, pop music, art and the new retro-80s frames (http://imomus.livejournal.com/366045.html) have loosened him up magnificently.

[jammypack.livejournal.com]

Ah, Kyoka! We miss her here in Japan.