is a blog about nonsensical interactions with new people and places, and the ideas that follow them.
It’s been a year since I moved back to the states. I miss me being in Berlin. Biking and walking everywhere, feeling exposed and excited. I’ve been able to go back and spend some time there, be productive, and I like how that is going. I’m not ready to move back, oh god. I’m not ready to move anywhere. I need some calm after my self-inflicted whirlwind.
It was easier to keep this blog going. I reported what I encountered. There were many different and challenging moments that kept me on my toes. Now I find myself analyzing situations more, especially situations involving people. I think Los Angeles confines me to write more personally. Bring on the gossip?
I have a newfound appreciation for LA still. It’s where I feel home. (This comfort was desperately desired last year.) There’s motivation and a sense of community here in LA that I just wasn’t able to see as clearly before. I think it takes longer to mature here. Perhaps grad school was too fresh on my mind as well; or some people had to be weeded out…
I want to invest in Los Angeles again. I want to make a close, loving relationship. That’s more of a decision than desire I think. In LA you have to make it happen for yourself, or be a painter. No offense.
I’ve been assisting a successful LA artist on and off for a few years now, and I’m satisfied in a way to watch people’s names in the art world pop up… and then stick around. A mental map is evolving around me and I’m comforted to know I’m not alone. Artists live and work in my neighborhood. Artists live and work all around LA.
It’s taken a year for this idea to come to fruition; watching everyone around me. This past year of observing LA again has turned up an elated and optimistic state of mind. Funny how these stages fill in the gaps between shows…
What is it about motivating people to do things especially if it’s in their best interest? I feel like I’m pulling teeth here. Short House is an ongoing project that started out as just something to do since we had the time and not a lot of resources to show or produce art. Now I’m more than happy to say it’s developed into some sort of curatorial project producing art shows in Berlin.
As an aspiring emerging artist, whatever that means, I cannot function without the support and assistance from my community. My friends are everything to me. That’s why I’m completely baffled when someone pisses all over their friends, doesn’t support them, passes up opportunities to meet friends of friends, etc. etc. etc. Of course my friends who read this aren’t the ones I’m talking about. I apologize and hate for this entry to be so negative and ranting, BUT I really think healthy functioning friendships are vital to being an artist.
When I was in Berlin last year I was meeting all sorts of people from around the world. It was pretty cool. The last two people I really befriended ended up being from LA, they both went to Otis, and we even knew each other in passing from the photo lab. Small world. Full circle. I curated them into Short House’s Home Grown exhibition, not only because they produced interesting work for the show, but also because they are invested members of my community. (Thanks for de-installing, Nate and Kelly!)
It’s amazing when things come full circle. The world makes sense for a brief moment. I can only hope that I’ll experience more connections and help make those connections possible too. I love you guys!
LA Crew in Berlin! Ian, Drew, Helen, me.
Apologies for the spring hiatus. Instead of writing my mind has been focused on getting a sense of place back. I realize I’ve been in a survival mode longer than I want to admit. I’ve also been living out of a suitcase for 2 months. When I left Berlin this spring, I developed a deep appreciation for the people I met there. Quite a few things came full circle. I’ve mentioned the ever growing ever fluctuating community of expats in Berlin, but aside from those numbers, it’s the multilateral interconnections that amazed me.
About two years ago I was in Venice Beach, California. I had just finished a run and was watching the huge winter surf break the shore. I met another person admiring the waves. He too is an artist and was in town to give a lecture at UCLA later that week. His name is Pavel and he is from Prague. This was his first time in Venice. I went to his lecture and later kept in touch with him via email. I usually hate running, but that run was worth it.
A year later I’m in Charlottenburg in Berlin and meet a couple people at an art conference about artist run spaces. (I even wrote about it below.) These two people turn out to be some of the most amazing people I met in Berlin. At my going away party, about another year later, the three of us are talking and we realized we all know Pavel from Prague! My two friends had collaborated with him and even exhibited his work in their space in Berlin. The art world is small, but the moment when you see those connections between people you admirer, that small world becomes illuminated and inspiring. Maybe it was the many pints of Helles I was feeling, but that was one of the best moments I’ve had.
Ian and I were talking about our jobs to each. We both shared the same hesitation to the fact that we cannot understand any of our students when they speak German to each other. “I know they’re not making fun of me, but.” “Yeah, my students are very playful with me. It’s very transparent that they are teasing, so I play along. I laugh and smile, making them feel like it’s cool to have fun.” I have one student who has a very low attention span, and by the last 15 minutes of class he starts to get restless. Today he drew a person pooing and peeing. He showed me and we all started laughing about poo poo and pee pee. I think potty humor is a very important aspect to life and deserves a lot of attention. Anyway, by the last 10 minutes of class I was a little tired of hearing “Poo poo! Pee pee!” over and over and over. I caught myself actually say, “Ok, Tom! That’s enough poo poo!”
Why am I the weird one? At my local grocery shop no one else seems to buy groceries for more than one meal at a time. And it’s not even enough for an entire meal. I see people buying some dried meat, a couple beers, and a yogurt. When I roll up with an overflowing hand basket I get vibed every time by the checkout lady.
Last night I was actually excited to see someone’s large load. (I wanted to make friends!) She had grapes and carrots and tomatoes! I was so intrigued. Little to my surprise she spoke no German and stumbled through the checkout line with only her English. Poor thing. What a weirdo.
European consumers are very different than Americans, obviously. (Costco couldn’t survive here.) But the main difference is the circulation of funds. Hardly any businesses accept credit cards in Berlin, not even in the touristy areas. Everything is cash. Debt does not exist. I’m dumbfounded by how much sense this makes. Everything is done via bank transfers. Rent, doctor bills, everything is direct debited.
Consumerism is defined very differently here too. There is one major department store and it has a few locations throughout the city. However, shopping is not a major pastime. People buy in small quantities, they bring their own bags to the stores, or they buy a plastic bag for 5 cents each. Most bags are even canvas. That’s a pretty responsible consumer. I have a very bad habit using credit, which I defend as necessary at times. But I am left with debt and no cash. And it’s making it difficult to fit in here. I can’t help but see the connection to the American lag in circulation of funds that has spiraled into an international problem. Damn weirdos.
A couple of my favorite things about Berlin are the people and what they can conjure up. I went to such an exemplary party the other night. A friend had the street coordinates to the location of the party. Supposedly these parties are nomadic and sprout up in vacant spaces throughout Berlin. This time it was in the basement of an old abandoned train station.
We got to the correct intersection, but all we found were a handful of confused people. Where’s the party? Everyone stood around in the cold, waiting for a call from someone in the know, or anyone who had a better idea. Once a few people started walking in a certain direction, everyone followed. We ended up climbing through broken fences behind hollowed out buildings with broken windows. If it weren’t for the small mass of people with me, I would have been freaking the fuck out. This place was an inspiration for horror films.
Down dark candle lit stairs and under a heavy hanging carpet, we found the party! Humble colored lights warmed the space, and everyone was drinking one-euro beers. The music could have been much louder (in multiple ways), but the final verdict was an awesome experience. The idea that led to this party, in a small intimate basement via hide-in-seek directions, is pretty noteworthy.
Another pleasant surprised happened last night. Ian and I grabbed a bite at a cheap falafel place as we were on our way home from visiting some openings in Wedding.
We decided to stay and eat inside the restaurant. It was crowded with shared tables everywhere. We sat next to two girls. As we were halfway into our satisfying falafel sandwiches, what seemed to be a verbal argument broke out. The two people spoke German, so I had no idea what the exchange was about. Ian was a little more keen to the situation.
I felt bad for the woman in the argument because some crazy stranger was bugging her. Before this broke out, I noticed her sitting across from me. She had a nice smile.
Suddenly, she started singing. Then the man started singing. Again, it would help if I understood what they were singing about. Then another woman across the room stood up and started singing. OK, ok. I get it. And finally one of the girls sitting next to us joined in. It was pretty amusing. All in all, about 5 “random” people started singing and acting through this preconceived scene.
The style and tune weren’t exactly my taste, but it was fun. I was delighted to see how much effort went into this production. The performers must have ordered food, sat down, and ate, in order to blend in. There was even a hidden camera to document.
Last weekend The Berlin Office hosted an opening for its temporary exhibition, I am the space where I am. It was a good time. I was reminded of the ambitions of Short House’s Group Show. I really love it when a space can be transformed into something communal and intimate. There’s inspiration in that.
From the exhibition text: “The Berlin Office holds various functions as a space. It is first and foremost a shelter, providing artists with a domestic environment for the duration of their stay as a resident. It is also a studio, providing space for concepts and projects to be developed and realized. Taking the versatility of function in to consideration, I am the space where I am explores The Berlin Office as a temporary exhibition. The installed works will respond directly to the apartments architecture; examining how a site, with its history and context, resonates as a framework for a collection of artistic responses.
Each of the artists invited to exhibit have spent a duration of time in The Berlin Office; either as a visitor, invited by the long-term artist in residence, or as a resident themselves.”
Victoria Lucas, Heart and Lungs
Ryan Thayer, Untitled (White) (center)
Jacob Borges, Quote Re-make - Artists Regard People
Victoria Lucas’ studio area
Various UBahn stations along the U7 line. This first one is my favorite.
On Wednesday Nov. 5th, the US presidential election results were heard in Berlin. Many Berliners stayed up all night to see the results of the election. There were parties all around the city, for Americans, other expats, and even as specific as for Democrats. . It wasn’t until 6am that the results were in. The buzz was similar to what I expect it was like in the states.
My friend Terra asked me the other week, in an email, about my thoughts on the election. With the internet I haven’t missed much of the hype. I enjoyed the SNL skits, the terrible interviews of the GOP party, but overall, I didn’t care much for the last-minute hoopla.
Today was the only day where I felt like I was slightly missing out. None of my German colleagues had much to say. Obama was brought up a few times in passing, but nothing substantial. On the U-Bahn there are monitors attached to the ceiling of the train cars. They display a rotation of advertisements and fun Berlin facts. Today, included in the mix was a brief announcement about Obama’s victory. It was a short news text and a weird sand castle picture of Obama’s head.
Not until tonight, while attending a small Obama celebration party, did I feel the worldly effects of this presidential election outcome. I met Kleo, an artist participating in a residency here in Berlin, and originally from Namibia, Africa. He was an inspiring person to meet on this night especially. He expressed an understanding of this event that gave me optimism.
Before I went to the party, I was a bit weary of the ideological jibber jabber that gets thrown around. A lot of superficial talk that doesn’t go anywhere and usually comes from someone dominating the conversation because he likes to hear himself talk. This was not the case tonight! (Maybe a little at times, but heck.)
Kleo understands Obama’s victory as an important sign of action. He believes the negative sentiment towards America might begin to change. There’s motivation at the individual level and this is what makes change happen. People around the world are celebrating, and perhaps realizing that by connecting with one another things can get done.
I don’t like to express hope in such general terms. What I am trying to say is that I find inspiration from Kleo and his understanding that it’s not Obama who will change the world, it’s the ideas that Obama puts forward. It’s the working class that has to make these changes and enforce those ideals. Kleo stated that it is not about Obama being black, “…because that is racist. It’s about what he stands for and how he can empower individuals to act.”
I was demoralized after the last election, but to hear someone from Namibia, who I met in Berlin, speak so articulately about the responsibility of action and importance of supporting a community, I have hope that “Obama” will inspire a great deal of people.
An example of this notion that responsibility lies at the individual’s level is evident in Kleo’s work he told me about. Next year, his visa expires and he is going back home to Namibia. He plans on creating a camp for foreign visitors to come and do a kind of residency in his hometown. The basic ideas are centered around exchange and exploring ways of how to support one another with a global understanding.
Kleo is optimistic about America’s relationship with Africa. He says, “Don’t construct your understanding of African countries by what is portrayed in the media. It’s not all about war, disease, and drugs.” He hopes to educate people about the larger picture, by inviting as many interested people as he can to experience his hometown. Perhaps creating real connections to each other, more people can start to take responsibility for other people, instead of just themselves or worse, just sitting on laptops watching You Tube.
A shared artist studio in the quaint up-and-coming neighborhood of Wedding hosts a fabulous salon and brunch once a month for about 40 guests. (It kind of feels like a singles mixer from some prior decade, but for English-speaking artists.) I was nervous attending for the first time because I didn’t know anyone, and the invite seemed very intimate. Turns out, everyone was very friendly and chatty. There were so many emails flying around, they could have poked an eye out. The food was absolutely delicious too. Most of the people I met were expatriates from France, Iceland, the UK, or the US. Many of them settle in Berlin because it is so affordable, or they are students or scholars completing their studies.
I’ve been lucky enough to tag along on some friends of friend’s parties and such over the past couple of months (see pic from previous post). And all the kids I’ve met are the usual- student, scholar, or artist, oh and a dressmaker.
The expatriate community seems very close-knit and it strongly supports itself. Newcomers are welcomed and offered extensive advice and help. There are also numerous English-speaking forums and groups widely used throughout the country. It makes Berlin feel very attainable. If it weren’t for the day-to-day language barrier, I would feel right at home.
Another community I am excited to be encountering is the artist-run initiative. There are dozens of spaces in Berlin that are focused on multi-disciplinary programming, experimental projects, and communicating among personal networks. These spaces are beginning to communicate and/or collaborate with other groups internationally as well.
I am attending a conference this weekend called Art Swap Europe http://artswap-europe.eu/ and I am amazed by how many European artists travel around. It feels so very international!
I continue to realize the importance of activism when it comes to experimentation. I think it is important for these artist-run initiatives to promote participation, to support non-traditional ideas, and to entice argument or conversation, rather than organize a gallery to show your work and your friends’ work with the intention of profit. There is a difference.
These different communities that mobilize and congregate through similarities are a vital aspect of Berlin. Exchange is at the heart of their intent.
