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 […]
Scandalist
Mr. Scandalist is pasted on an electrical box near the Holzmarkt, a trendy spot by the water where you’ll also find a hotel and a club. The doors of the electrical box split the man in two. In each hand, he’s holding something, and a quick internet search reveals they are spray cans. “Scandalist” appears […]
Grand dame
She is stunning, as if she’s from the early 19th century. The impressionistic whites, along with the two shades of blue and orange, complement her beautifully. Should I have framed her differently? I could have made a painting out of it, but then I would have taken her out of her context. The blue and […]
Hello-goodbye
We can see who created this work. It was done by Margaret Hunter and Peter Russell. Margaret Hunter painted the hands, while Peter Russell created the geometric patterns, which he connected to an adjacent artwork. This piece was made when the Wall fell. To me, it’s a great example of how art and street art […]
Loose
This is the result of endless layering and careless force. Posters are often pasted over one another until someone from the city services comes by and pries them off with a crowbar. I sometimes try to stop the worker. When I see a beautiful composition, I quickly take a photo. After that, the composition is […]
Totem
This is a totem figure—a powerful being carved from wood and revered. Its hands are raised in blessing, yet its gaze is stern. It can change if necessary. The third eye suggests supernatural wisdom, a vision beyond the visible into other worlds. As the ivy grows over the figure, it gives the whole scene the […]
Queer
Berlin has long been a liberal city. Hitler was a horrific interruption in a long era of freedom, though even during that dark time, wild parties were thrown as the Russians closed in. Dancing on the volcano. The Weimar era, in particular, was a pinnacle of freedom and artistic expression, where transsexuality and drag queens […]
Dance!
I had to take this photo—it worked, but also didn’t quite work. I really could have used a small ladder to stand more directly in front of the composition, and there’s a small arch in the top left that I couldn’t quite crop out. The window could have been given a bit more space. A […]
Foxy
She hangs on the outer wall of the RAW-Gelände. A sexy fox—so, Foxy. She’s dancing in the fire against a crumbling backdrop, with the plaster peeling off: dancing on the volcano. All around her, small images have been pasted, the power lines sagging above her, and there’s an intriguing orange light. The RAW-Gelände is deep […]
Sticky network
It’s a door that must lead somewhere, but I don’t know where. Maybe it takes you inside, where it’s damp and cold, or perhaps it’s a cozy coffee bar? In Berlin, you never quite know. The massive collection of stickers plastered on the door is perfect for some deep-dive Google sessions. For example, I googled […]