Face
A face, but whose face? It gazes at us with a melancholic and thoughtful expression. Or perhaps, more accurately, he gazes past us. Above him, the bare shoulder of a young woman, and below him, a child holding what I think is a watercolor palette. He’s placed in a spot where they sell a lot […]
Badehaus
The Badehaus is no longer a bathhouse, but it once was. The workers at the train repair station could wash themselves there after a long day of hard work and then head home clean. In the living barracks, there likely weren’t many bathing facilities at that time. If you read the stories about East Berlin […]
Müll 2
Duchamp was a famous artist who came up with the idea of placing a urinal in a museum, thus transforming it into a work of art simply by changing the context in which the object was placed. Sometimes a trash can is no longer just a trash can, but an art object that has lost […]
Colors
The wall is made of wood, covered with posters and images in bright colors. There are also tags sprayed or written in thick marker. The overall effect is cheerful, and that in itself already gives it meaning. Graffiti has the power to transform neighborhoods from dull, gray areas into trendy, vibrant places where people want […]
The Texan tiger
I know the Bengal tiger, but this seems like a Texan tiger, with his hands on his belt, overly shiny loafers, and a bright blue vest under a black jacket, topped off with a velvet tie. The only thing missing is the cowboy hat. He’s already had some things pasted and sprayed over him. Maybe […]
Bare brick
When time has erased everything, the bricks return. In this photo, the posters, graffiti, stickers, and plaster are gone, or almost gone—there are still faint traces left. It’s impossible to tell what it all once was, but it’s beautiful as it is now. Brick is beautiful, but it’s not ideal for graffiti or as a […]
Keller Kraftwerke
If you type Keller Kraftwerke into Google, you quickly end up on Soundcloud, a platform where musicians upload their music. It turns out to be a location in Aachen where techno is played. “Wir legen auf und organisieren Veranstaltungen im Raum Aachen” (We DJ and organize events in the Aachen area), it says. The boy […]
Estico
This photo was indeed taken in Berlin, although the Spanish text “Pifiar con estico” might suggest otherwise. According to online translation tools, pifiar con estico means something like “messing up with aesthetics.” That’s not the case here—it’s a beautiful picture featuring a little girl carrying a plant in a bucket. Maybe she’s taking it to […]
Basquiat
Basquiat was an artist from the United States who created raw and unsettling art. Unfortunately, he passed away too soon after living an intense life. This composition reminds me of him and his work—bold and unapologetic. The man’s face is already raw, but the genitalia drawn over it and the mouth make it even more […]
No regrets
A famous psychiatrist, Irvin Yalom, once said that three things are important for happiness: being kind to yourself, being somewhat kind to others, and having no regrets. This image looks like something from the 60s, Thunderbird-like, but with an absurd twist. He has a cat’s head or mask and a strange hand. She is wearing […]