Smile
A smile from ear to ear, with bleached white teeth. He has large ears that he uses to hold his mask, which he wears over his eyes. Now we know why he’s smiling so broadly—he’s mocking the COVID rules. Or maybe it’s a bit more lighthearted, and he’s simply making a joke, serving as comic […]
Roller Shutter
Sticking a poster onto a roller shutter that opens and closes every day as the shop opens and closes results in this. Putting a poster there doesn’t make much sense. The message is less visible and wears out faster. The person who put it up clearly wasn’t very invested in the message they were trying […]
Happy shit
Once upon a time, there was a small restaurant on the corner of the square with a limited but excellent selection of simple tapas and wine. Suddenly, the restaurant was gone, but the wall I used to face when enjoying drinks on the terrace was still there. It’s the wall of a derelict building, and […]
Big brother
A beautiful summary of the Corona period. Above, a poster with #Staysafe, and below, a large eye. It’s, of course, a coincidence that these two images appear together in one photo. The artists probably didn’t respond to each other but worked independently. Still, they make a striking combination because together, they so effectively capture the […]
Raw in Blue
What a beautiful abstract piece this is, spray-painted on a wall. I saw this image in El Cabanyal, a disadvantaged neighborhood that will soon turn into a yuppie area, given how fast it’s ‘improving.’ To get a good photo, I had to make my way past a few addicts who were using right by the […]
La Rue Meurt
The street is dying. At least, it feels a bit like that in Berlin. The process of gentrification is making everything more expensive and polished in this city too. Fortunately, the city of Berlin has recognized and acknowledged this and has banned rent increases in various parts of the city. This includes the spot where […]
Hidden
In Berlin, advertising posters are wrapped around lampposts until they form a thick layer, sometimes as much as 20 to 30 centimeters thick. A city worker comes with a crowbar and violently tries to rip off the entire paper layer. This occasionally results in fascinating compositions, like this face that emerged from beneath layers of […]
Müll
There’s little as unremarkable as a trash can. But doesn’t the same apply to a concrete wall or the fence around a construction site? Graffiti clings to everything and transforms something unremarkable into something beautiful. The RAW Gelände is an old industrial complex from the DDR era. Dilapidated, but now successfully repurposed; it hosts clubs, […]
ATM
The ATMs at the RAW Gelände are all broken. Yet, they still serve a purpose—they’ve become art objects with an anarchist edge, perfectly fitting the vibe of the area and the district of Friedrichshain, a neighborhood in East Berlin known for its famous techno clubs with long queues, cheap food, and crowds of young people […]
Old school
Stickers—who still uses them to convey a message? Once upon a time, stickers were everywhere, just like the buttons on your jacket with your favorite band on them. But nowadays, I can’t imagine any advertising agency including stickers in their campaigns. Germany, however, has a certain traditional vibe, and perhaps that’s why stickers are still […]