25 years of the fall of the Berlin wall

25 Jahre Mauerfall

It felt like  New Years Eve. Many people on the streets walking around the Oberbaumbrücke.  People with cameras, families and friends. The city had a great idea to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of fall of the Berlin wall: thousands of balloons were marking the path where the Berlin wall used to divide the city.

After 7 PM the balloons were set free to fly, in a domino effect. We watched from the other side of the river.

Kreuzberg diaries: Oriental Wedding in Kreuzberg

On my way home yesterday I found a wedding party on my street. In the oriental way the people were dancing holding hands on a circle while a guy with drums and another with a blow instrument were playing.

Gestern ging ich nach Hause und erlebte Musik und Gelächter. Eine Hochzeitsfeier war in Gang in meinem Kiez. Eine Gruppe von Leuten gemeinsam mit Braut und Brautigam tanzte in Kreis. In der Mitte tromelte einen Mann und ein anderer Mann spielte ein Blasinstrument. Ich liebe Kreuzberg!

Paraty Workshops!

After coming back from Brazil, from the Urban Sketcher Symposium in Paraty, I am full of ideas and inspiration.

The workshop I liked most was the "Wide Angle Perspective" with Paul Heaston. It was so difficult at first, but after a while you start getting the feeling. You have to check Paul Heaston' sketchbooks. His drawings from the Favelas in Rio were amazing. I hope he will upload the drawing soon.

By Behzad Bagheri was all about mixing colors on the paper, playing with what you see in that mix, I keep tying to be bold all the time, to find some forms in the abstraction

I was so happy to finally visit Lynne Chapman workshop. "Afraid of Color?" We got a storm while drawing and the water level kept going up and up, until we where completely surrounded by water 

Praying for peace at Petriplatz

A house for 3 Religions. At the site, where once stand the Petri Church, a house for 3 religions will be built in Berlin. Christians, Jews and Muslims will share a space. In the frame of this interreligious dialog project representatives of this 3 religions met last Sunday under the shadow of a tree at the Petri Square to pray for peace in Israel & Palestine. Other religions groups like the Sikhs, Bahai & Sufis joined. It was also a nice gesture to remember the suffering of people in other conflict areas like Syria , Iraq, Sudan, Mali, Ukraine, etc.

Kreuzberg Diaries: Noon and Evening at the Ohlauer Street

Although the situation is supposed to be over, I got the impression that it was only postponed, and that we will keep hearing more about the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Schule.

Today in the morning was very clam. A security firm guard the school and don't let anybody else get inside. 6-8 police cars are park on the street

In the afternoon a demonstration came to the street. The police was well prepared and immediately blocked the Ohlauer Strasse with their wagons.

A few minutes later everything was over and they cleared the street again.

Kreuzberg diaries: the calm after the storm

Yesterday there was a very aggressive atmosphere at the Ohlauer Street. There were a lot of Policemen.

There were also a lot of people watching.

With the time it got darker and people and police started to leave.

And suddenly I heard music. Rap and Contrabass.

Today in the morning I was surprise to see that most of the police wagons were gone. The street was still blocked by the police. Some activists have spent the night there. They were tired and some of them were still sleeping. The sun shine and someone started playing music. There was a chill-out atmosphere..

Kreuzberg diaries: the Police and the Maiden

The Wiener Street was also blocked by the police today. The news were telling that the police would clear the school building today.

In the afternoon the Wiener Street was opened again to the traffic and some units start leaving the area. However the Ohlauer street stayed blocked to the public. Protesters sat in front of the barriers, while the police stayed behind.

I love this image. She sitting quite on the floor, hardly moving dressed in black, looking quite too elegant for a demonstration. The policemen behind the barrier. The news said that nothing will happen today.

Kreuzberg diaries

The area where I live, Kreuzberg, in Berlin very often makes the headlines of the national newspapers.

This time the Ohlauer Strasse was blocked by a huge amount of policemen. You will think they were after some terrorists, or kidnappers, but they were there because of only 40 people living in an empty former school building asking for the right to stay in Germany.

As I read  in the today newspaper, they might be able to stay in the school building, however, the right to stay in Germany will still not be granted. The police will go away and the headlines will be gone too. That kind of news, showing people's struggle to escape misery is not good for the government that prefers not to deal with the issue of asylum seekers. 

First of May in Berlin

Kreuzberg transforms into a mega party. In the past it used to be chaos and protests.

Later I went to a bar made with containers and a boat at the Spree river.

Journals from the WWI - Tagebücher im Sturmgepäck

It was an extraordinary experience to hear journals' excerpts belonging to soldiers during the WWI. The text were read by the actual relatives, Gabriele Streichhahn and Franziska Troegner. The journals belonged their (great) grandfathers. Music was selected and played by Ute Falkenau. The piece "Tagebuch im Sturmgepäck" can be seen in Theater im Palais in Berlin.

Es war eine außergewöhnliche Erfahrung, Auszüge aus Tagebücher von Soldaten während des Ersten Weltkriegs. Die Texte wurden von ihren Nachfahren, Gabriele Streichhahn und Franziska Troegner  gelesen. Die Tagebücher gehörten ihren (Ur) Großvätern. Musik wurde von Ute Falkenau ausgewählt und gespielt. Das Stück "Tagebuch im Sturmgepäck" kann man in Theater im Palais in Berlin sehen.

Interview by Parka Blogs

I was interviewed in Parka Blogs about the materials I use. As you might know Parka Blogs have been interviewing many Sketchers about their tools. You can read my interview here.