IDberlin: The Art Around Us

IDsteve,

It has the notoriety of The Louvre, the diversity of The Met, the style of MoMA, and the history of The British Museum. Yet this gallery is free to all—you can even touch the art if you so desire! Don’t worry, there aren’t any security guards telling you to put your camera away, so no need to sneak that must have photo with your camera phone. And if you really feel compelled, you can even become part of the exhibit. Because this is no museum; it’s an entire city. Welcome to Berlin!

Berlin's East Side Gallery

Berlin’s East Side Gallery

Since the Berlin Wall was breached in 1989, street artists have been coming to Berlin around the world to help place their creative stamp on this city of 3.4 million with an identity almost entirely formed in the last 25 years. From Banksy to Blu, just about anyone who’s anyone in the graffiti game has left their mark here—if only Basquiat had been alive in the 90’s. Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg are among the city’s artistically-dense spots, but make sure to check out the East Side Gallery as well—a stretch of the Berlin Wall that has been kept intact and turned into a living, breathing art gallery.

Whether you like paint, stickers, stencils, posters or even the occasional sculpture or space transformation, Berlin is a place you won’t want to miss. And if you want to add to the scene, even better—pack your paint and let’s go!

Stay tuned to this space for some gems that will be posted from Berlin periodically.

 

MyID: 03 June 2002 Along the Rolling Rhine River Valley

IDsteve,

My ID:  5:23pm, Monday, 03 June 2002; just north of Bingen

A familiar sight around Germany

A familiar sight around Germany

I am some three hours into my German experience, on a train from Koln to Frankfurt, where I will begin my experience of this country. I’ve been trailing the mighty Rhine River pretty much since I first crossed the border from the Netherlands. Already, the beautiful, steep, rocky hills sharply bowing down to the wide, windy, barge-packed river, adorned by towns on both sides resting comfortably in the river valley full of steeples and an occasional old castle built into the side or at the top of a mountain, are etched in my memory.

Introduced to Germany via the rails

Introduced to Germany via the rails

I’ve heard Germans are timely, and my train connection in Koln was exactly that. And businesslike, too—everyone seems to be in a hurry. Even in the train station, there didn’t seem to be many people gathering, talking, laughing…just everyone going about their business. And while the Rhine River valley continues to wow me with its beauty, I am glad that I didn’t choose to study German in school—what an ugly sounding language!

(Note: I apologize about this, my German friends! But this is supposed to be a real, unfiltered account of first impressions, and this excerpt is straight out of the journal I kept from my first experiences in Europe in 2002!)

Approaching Koln

Approaching Koln

Easy connection in Koln

Easy connection in Koln

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