Day 18 SWEET HOME

I have really needed this trip for my mind, for my art, for my heart, for my family. But it is so GOOD to be home. I must return to Berlin some time soon, as I have yet to taste a Currywurst. It's good to have goals.

Day 17 LOST IN TRANSIT

Not much to report here unless you are interested to know how I nearly smashed my laptop over the head of the oaf who was sitting next to me from Zurich to Singapore… but I’d prefer you to think that I enjoyed every minute of this trip.

Day 16 AUF WIEDERSEHEN BERLIN

I leave Berlin tonight and there are so many things I haven’t seen yet - I haven’t had my currywurst either! The picture above is a photograph that is in the bedroom of the apartment. I have grown quite fond of it – beauty is everywhere.

I really wanted to see the Hamburger Bahnof before I left. It is a museum for contemporary art in an old train station: worth the journey across town. The building itself has a divine symmetry and the work inside is varied and engaging.

I think Andy Warhol’s enourmous sparkly portrait of Joseph Beuys could be a pivotal work to illustrate the spirit of the place. I am much impressed by Warhol after seeing the works here. I had assumed that he owed his success to his audacity. But looking at these works I see an artist who is challenged and connected and searching. There are not just portraits here but the electric chair works, which seems to be a conversation between himself and Rauchenberg (who also uses the blue chair in works of the same year). There are also some painterly foundations for his screen prints.

I only had time then for a quick peek at the small but hard-hitting Victor Man show at the Deutscher Bank KunstHall. It gave me an insight into how contemporary painting can retain an exquisite quality in terms of colour and handling and still sit comfortably in a contemporary ‘conceptual’ setting by adopting sophisticated themes and innovative lighting. The room was dark and the spotlights on the works were angled in such a way (from directly above the works) that the light grazed the surface of the paint. The paint glowed so intensely that it almost seemed to be a black light and fluorescent paint… but I think it was simply the artist’s confident use of colour and tone.

And now time to go back to the apartment and pack up. It is funny how your mind does this to you at the end of a trip... but I am ready to go home now. Auf Weidersehen Europe. I will be back soon.

Day 15 AI WEI WEI, BERLIN BIKINI & THE POLAR BEARS

Inspired as I was by Ai Wei Wei at the bunker yesterday, I wanted to visit his major show at the Martin Gropius Bau. I have always been a little mystified by Ai Wei Wei and though I am aware of his huge global success - I was not entirely sure why. I have no doubts now. This man is a powerhouse of art. That he has managed to crash through oppressive rails and communicate meaningfully to an international community makes him all the more powerful. Every work is fascinating and inventive and there is no sign of derivative or lackluster that sometimes afflicts sensational artists.

One work is a series of Han Dynasty (202BC – 220AD) vases that he has painted with modern automobile paint to illustrate how modern technologies are wiping out the valuable past. How average the actual vessels look now – all chic and shiny… and this is exactly the point.

He has been imprisoned for his liberal ideas and an exact replica of his detention cell has been reconstructed here so you can feel what it was like. As you exit you can watch security video of yourself that was captured from all manner of angles unbeknownst to you while you were inspecting the space. You get a genuine feeling of personal invasion.

In the afternoon I head out to the new Berlin Bikini which is a shopping mall that exhibits up and coming designers in ‘concept’ boxes. It is situated right next to the Tiergarten and famous Berlin zoo and because I have no particular agenda – a whim took me to visit the zoo.

It is an exquisite place – if one could combine the Sydney Botanic Gardens with Taronga Zoo – this would approximate it. The gardens are lush and abundant with spring flowers and the zoo is exotic. The lion stood up and roared just for me; and the polar bears (eisbär) sat long enough for me to sketch them. There were a couple of newborn monkeys that kept my attention for a long time – and animals that I had never seen before such as the Stachelschwein which is like a wombat with spines.

I was determined to have a currywurst today but I just can’t bring myself to – pork sausage has never been my favourite. So I have a schnitzel and salad and head home to pack. I promise to currywust tomorrow as soon as I see a stall.

Day 14 THE BOROS BUNKER

Last night I woke in the middle of the night to hear a scratching noise. I flicked on the light. It was coming from the wardrobe… a mouse? No! Please no. No – it’s coming from the corner… what IS IT? This went on for a comical 5 minutes as I dashed about the room in my underpants unable to detect the source of the sound as the sound started to increase in intensity. I looked up just in time to dodge the falling lampshade. It had slowly ripped off the frame – how will I explain this?

In the morning I had an appointment at the Boros Bunker. This was a difficult appointment to secure as I had not planned well enough in advance and when I realized I had to make a booking the website showed that they were booked out until the end of July. After pleading with them over the phone they revealed the exact time they would update the website with any cancellations and I was thus able to nab a precious spot.

The Sammlung Boros is a private collection of contemporary work owned by the Boros Family. They started collecting in the early 90s but had nowhere to house and show the work. They looked for a long time to find a suitable place.

This bunker is the most weird and incredible building in itself. It was essentially a bomb shelter for citizens but it is entirely above ground. The reason for this is that Hitler wanted the people to see the building and for it to make them feel safe. This was a misconception on his part as despite its fortitude it is, in effect, a monument to fear. In order for it to withstand a bombing, the walls are 3m thick with concrete and rebar. This depth meant little to me until I saw a section of the ceiling that the Boros family had had to cut out to make allowances for access to their home (that they built on the roof). 3m is a great deal of concrete.

A similar bomb shelter was directly hit by a bomb in another area of Berlin and the worst physical implications to the people inside were a temporary loss of hearing and some bleeding noses. In this bunker we can see another staircase innovation: scissor staircases. The ceilings are low and yet calculating the angle at which the stairs run between the floors, the engineers were able to install two staircases (one above the other, per floor) I’m still not entirely sure how this works but although you could see the two levels of stairs – there was still enough headroom. The idea is that double the capacity of people can enter the bunker in an emergency. After marveling at the design we are told that it is a direct imitation of a concept designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Wow.

After the war the Russians used the bunker as a prison and after the Berlin wall came down it was a venue for raves and fetishistic sex parties until the council shut it down (there was little ventilation, few exits and no toilet facilities) which made it dangerous for the extreme activities going on inside. At this time it went up for private sale and soon after the Boros family ‘salvaged’ it. The walls themselves tell a hundred stories from the original phosphorescent painted arrows to the fluoro graffiti from the 90s parties. I would hazard a guess that many of the artists who exhibit there now had been there before as part of the edgy Berlin 90s scene.

And I haven’t even begun to talk about the art… so cool! All the works are challenging and cover a range of themes such as the big bang, utopia, parallel universes and the possibility of 11 dimensions. It is such a mind fuck. I love it. As we near the third level we can smell something cooking… is it popcorn? Our guide smiles and asks us to wait and see.

It IS popcorn - a cart that has been popping corn since the artwork was installed – in May 2012. It is in a large room and it is FULL of popcorn – we are encouraged to step in it – to climb to the top and grab a fresh piece to eat if we like! Oh my kids would LOVE this.

There is also a work by Ai Wei Wei here – it is a tree but it has been recreated from hundreds of trees – the wood collected from all over China and pieced together here. Ai Wei Wei is still not permitted to leave China – so assistants installed it.

It is the home of the Boros family and only 12 English speakers are permitted every 90 mins and only 3 days a week. Our guide reiterates that we are, in effect, walking around in the family's basement. 

I met a lovely couple from England who took me to a great café for lunch and directed me to a good shopping spot in the afternoon where I stocked up on gifts and bought myself a very expensive pair of shoes… trippen.

Tonight I dined in an Indian restaurant which has been tempting me for days with a beautiful aroma… this is to show you what €10 can get you in Berlin. My bill actually came to €12 as I had a lovely glass of Riesling to accompany it. Needless to say I barely made a dent in this lavish array – nor did I intend to order so much – it was simply a set menu for one. Wishing I could share this meal with my nearest and dearest.

Day 13 KULTURFORUM

Each day I have been venturing out into the wider Berlin but I am realizing just how incredible my local area (Prenzenlauer Berg) is. For starters it has EXPAT MEAT! But apart from that it is very cosmopolitan and very Berlin – When I say ‘Very Berlin’ I mean – lots of chic fashionistas, kids and families galore, old men selling home grown flowers in the park, pierced and tattooed punks advertising new bars, lovers kissing everywhere… anything goes.

After my café breakfast (bircher muesli and Chai tea) – I made my way to the Gemaldegaleire. Its entrance is tucked away at the back of a complex called the Kutureforum. It was deserted and I started to think I should have chosen a different way to spend my day. In the foyer, a couple of people milled about but I pretty much had the place to myself.

I was wrong to assume that no crowd means no pleasure. The collection ‘sammlung’ (love that word) in here would rival the best in the world. There are rooms overflowing with Rembrandt, Titian, Raphael, Rubens, Caravaggio, Dürer, Brueghel, Van Eyck… even Reynolds and Gainsborough. I realize that I am starting to sound repetitive – such treasures here in Europe… but this gallery is different. Though I recognize the artists, many of the paintings are not familiar. But again, this does not mean that they are inferior paintings – in fact, many of them are amongst the most beautiful works I have seen. I am aware that I am taking in generalities but I do not know where to begin. Being almost alone in the gallery increases the intensity – there are no distractions, just me and the works.

Perhaps I will just mention one painting as it is in one of the first rooms and it took me by surprise. It is Holbein’s, Maria als Schmerzensmutter (Our Lady of Sorrows), 1495. It depicts Mary crying and there is such intensity of emotion in her pleading glare – I feel reluctant to move on. I have included a brutal crop here – but I wanted to show the eyes and the tears. Holbein is a beautiful painter - he is emotionally invested in his subject here and it carries.

Ok just two… Venus with the Organ Player, now this one I do know – though only through slides. It is thrilling to see Titian’s sensual touch and skilled and varied handling up close.

I wonder if I picked up an art book from the 1930s whether many of the works in the Gemaldegallerie would be detailed there. Whether generally, German galleries, collections and indeed, artists were largely left out of the curriculum when I came to study art.

The war, now 70 years ago, is still deeply felt in Berlin. There are physical scars on the buildings everywhere and the Berliners are not in a hurry to brush them away. For example, there is a church with the steeple blown in half; it has been carefully repaired to stabilize and weatherproof but otherwise it stands in pieces as a reminder of history. There are many memorials to the Jewish people and many empty spaces – empty rooms in galleries – empty concrete squares – a theme that symbolizes the absence of Jews from German society. A friend who lives here mentioned that she has only recently seen people displaying the German flag - there is still such guilt associated with any kind of patriotism.

This remorse does not in any way make good what happened under Hitler’s reign – but there seems to be an understanding of the necessity (if not willingness) to face the past. I cannot help but compare this with my own country’s reaction to the bloody history of Australia. Here, in this regard, a cultivated ignorance is pervasive, for the most part.

I decide to cook at home today and I discover why no one does. One organic chicken breast from the local biomarkt cost €7 and the remainder of my ingredients - another €7. I make a mediocre rice dish with a fork and a saucepan (my host doesn’t cook at home and has few cooking utensils and only one pot). As I scrub the pot I can hear the surrounding restaurants filled to the brim with Berliners as it is every night of the week. I imagine the delicious meal I could have purchased for under €10.

The delightful verdict: It is not economically viable to eat at home.

Day 12 SEX, DEATH & MISO SOUP

I stayed well out of the red light district while I was in Amsterdam but in Berlin, sex is ubiquitous.

Today I visited the impressive Berlinische Gallery in Mitte where they were showing a major exhibition of the work of American, Dorothy Iannone who basically depicted society as clusters of genitals over a career that has lasted 50 years. When room after room of legs-wide-open became tedious, I climbed the crossed staircase* onto the level of the Berlin artists permanent collection. The downstairs theme continues… (please excuse the pun). Is it me? Have I been away for too long? 

At lunch I purchased a copy of ‘EXBERLINER’. As far as I know this is a mainstream magazine for English speakers in Berlin. The first article is about an English gay club that has opened. The title of the article is BEST MOUTHFUL OF GERMAN(S) and it reads like this: “A little bit nervous when it comes to the legend of the giant German Schwanz? Having trouble saying ‘Ich finde dich geil’ while gobbling down schnitzel? Fear not: there’s a new sex party for horny homos who want (or need) to speak English. Not subscribing to the adage that love is a universal language, EXPAT MEAT (yes) at Prenzenlauer Berg gay sex club Stahlrohr 2.0 aims to fill a hole for the Teutonically timid.” Case in point! Ha!

I spent the afternoon in a completely different dimension at the Jewish Museum. I barely have words for this. The building itself is completely disconcerting:  narrow corridors file off in various directions and the floor appears to be slanted (which I believe it is - ever so slightly). The effect upon the visitor is a sense of vertigo – intended by the architects to express the sentiment that nothing makes sense after a tragedy such as the holocaust.

Tears began when I read this letter from a mother to her son who has managed to organise passage to South America at the beginning of the war to stay with relatives there.

“My Darling Son,

Tomorrow I am being evacuated to a place called Auschwitz. I do not know what will become of me. If by chance you do not hear from me again, please know that you have been the light of my life and I am so relieved that you are safe away from here. I will love you always,

Mother”

Another was a letter from a 10-year-old boy to his aunt. He had been separated from his parents and has managed to hide, alone, in Nice for one year before he was caught. He pens this on the train. Looking at the actual letter you can see how young he is by the immature handwriting, though his words are eloquent.

“The heat, the stench and the crying of men, women and children who are crowded into this train, defies all description. We do not know where we are heading. Escape is impossible.”

There was a little notation from the museum saying that he was taken to Dachau where he was murdered.

I had to leave. With tears running down my face, I tried to find my way out of the labyrinth. The museum is largely underground so that by the time I burst onto the street I was able to recognise what an incredible museum experience it was. For a millisecond of my life I gained an insight into the terror of the holocaust. But escape was possible for me.

I shifted into a third dimension for the evening when I met up with a friend of a friend Ilona, Kat. We had spoken on the phone and arranged to meet on a street corner near Alexanderplatz. She was going home after work to collect her dog, Winnie, who joined us. Not knowing what Kat looked like I approached a girl with a dog who was standing on the corner. “Kat?” I said. She looked at her dog then back at me, frowned a meaningful frown and said “Nein”. I decided to wait for Kat to approach me.

We went to a Vietnamese/ Japanese restaurant (apparently this combo is a very Berlin thing). We did have miso soup and sushi and chatted our faces off. It was so lovely to meet Kat and I know our paths will cross again. Winnie is divine and I hope to get more cuddles from her some time soon.

On this note (aware that this is a very long diary entry)… my host, Eva, is a yoga teacher, energy healer and editor of Art Berlin. Her apartment is a retreat with beautiful little shrines in every corner. I feel like the universe is getting involved in my journey.

*This is German design ingenuity at its best – the sleek staircase runs diagonally across the enourmous double-story-high gallery space. The staircases run in opposing directions. Where the staircases meet (in the centre of the room, mid-air), there is a landing so you can redirect to any corner of the upper level (or lower level if you are Christopher Robin – please, someone get that reference).