Friends of friends and sometimes even friends of friends of friends have been beyond helpful on this trip. This particular EAQ didn’t start as planned and i’ve been kind of winging it the whole time under the magic life spell “It will all work out” It did, because of these wonderful and very generous people. Friends from back home got me on the road, these new friends that were essentially strangers taking a chance helped me keep going…I’m grateful for both THANK YOU!
Example: I wanted to stay in Berlin longer, and I got a couch surf only because B-rad (US) messaged Carla who lives in Berlin but is from Chile, messaged her friend Caleb originally from Tennessee, that a Artist from Cali is traveling in Berlin needs a place to crash: BOOM! Caleb talked to his roomies (Mareen and Diego) and they agreed to let me crash for my last few nights in Berlin.
Advantage : pay it forward! Thanks to all you cool people!
Mauer Park: An Explosion of Creatives! Every Sunday in the Summer in Berlin. Mauer park has a formal “Flea Market” // Bazaar type atmosphere. Walking through made me very claustrophobic. It was too much. Diego guided us out of the consumer madness and into the park where an entirely different brand of Madness was unfolding! The park had more space and filling it were musicians of every ilk, a basketball court, 1000’s of people picnic-ing, and old out door hillside amphitheater that had been converted into the worlds largest Karaoke bar!
I found a shaded promenade full of renegade artists selling their goods on the sidewalk. I inquired if it would be ok for me to join in their “permit less” market place. I got the local artist approval and proceeded to set up my portable gallery.
I didn’t sell any pieces but I was pleased to be part of the local street art market for a few hours and got treated to a DAF (dope as fuck) deep house set, (thrown down by a DJ wearing a monkey mask). So much fun!
I couldn’t leave without experiencing the karaoke theater which had no less that 2000 spectators! People were BRAVE, fearless, Wow. The range of talent was wide and varied from terrible Amy Winehouse, to superb Andean flute/beatboxing combo…!
After meeting with Volker (friends of friends in SF including my brother) for a short picnic in a Delores Park like atmosphere we joined his friend Nickoli for dinner at a local Indian Restaurant. Volker decided that he wanted the Victory Column piece and offered me his self published 2nd edition Vegetarian Cookbook as a nice gift to take home to the states! I offered Nickolai, a professional tour guide, a small piece in exchange for a walking tour the next time i’m in Berlin!
Lastly, I painted at the “East Side Gallery” because thats kind of cool. My composition consisted of Part of the “Wall’ and had a great view of the “Oberaumbrucke” Bridge. I was satisfied with my work in Berlin but had to acknowledge for me to do a proper body of work in a city that full of culture: I would need at least a month!
Berlin is the captiol of NFG: No fucks Given…
People there a rocking styles from 4 decades all at once. Plus new stuff that people haven’t even scene yet. The whirlwind blend of fashion and music and visual art is intoxicating: Everything under the sun goes in Berlin. You could have a juggling monkey on a leash, walking through the park and no one would blink. I loved that about Berlin. Be as freaky as you want and then and only then will you start fitting in Berlin. Normal is the only weird there and somehow even normal has a style in Berlin.
I would like to return to make a proper body of work and do a show in Berlin. Maybe a friend of a friend knows a gallery owner in Berlin?…(hint, hint, wink, wink,)
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