You’ve made it through Exam Week! Yay!
Now it’s time to rest and enjoy 10 days in Berlin with no (or very few) responsibilities. Don’t be worried about the cold weather that is coming. Berlin is a city that never sleeps, and there are always plenty of interesting things to do, even if you stay here.
Exhibitions
In Berlin art teems in all corners, and it’s hard to be aware of all the things there are to do, and all the art performances and exhibitions you can see. Here’s a list of exhibitions I would see if I were in Berlin these days.
- FOTOGAGA. Max Ernst und die Fotografie – The Museum für Fotografie. Helmut Newton Stiftung
Max Ernst, a German-American-French painter, sculptor, paintmaker, and, more broadly, a prolific artist, was the pioneer of the Dada und Surrealism in Europe. The Museum für Fotografie, Helmut Newton Stiftung, organizes this exhibition from 18th October on, which aims to discover the points of contact between Ernst´s work and photography. Many lesser-known work by Ernst will be shown, and they will be supplemented with other works from the Kunstbibliothek, the Nationalgaliere, and other collections.
You can find more information about the exhibition here: Museumsportal Berlin – Ausstellung – FOTOGAGA. Max Ernst und die Fotografie (museumsportal-berlin.de)
FOTOGAGA. Max Ernst und die Fotografie (smb.museum)
- Pier Paolo Pasolini. Porcili – Neuen Berliner Kunstverein
In Neuen Berliner Kunstverein opened the exhibition dedicated to Pier Paolo Pasolini, one of the most controversial and radical Italian thinker, poet, and movies director. In case you don´t know him, I would suggest to take a look at this exhibition, which reconstructs the idea of Pasolini´s corpo (body) including photographs, films, newspapers, books, film costumes. The focus of this work, and of his thinking, was the rebellion against social conventions in Italian society from the 1950s to the 1970s. Due to his dissident nature, he was costantly subjected to discriminations, and censorship.
The title of the exhibition, „Porcili“ („The Pigsties“) is homonym to one of his movies, which express the allegory of a society based on control, stereotypes, and prejudices. Indeed, for the politicians, the Catholic Church, and for the Italian bourgeoisie, Pasolini was a pig, a scandal. Whether you find yourself agreeing with Pasolini’s ideas and opinions or not, the figure of Pasolini inevitably evokes a profound inner turmoil. Exploring his life and thought is an essential journey that invites us to reflect on complex and provocative issues.
n.b.k. – Pier Paolo Pasolini (nbk.org)
- Gisèle Vienne. This Causes Consciousness to Fracture – A Puppet Play – Haus am Waldsee
Haus am Waldsee is presenting an exhibition on the artistic work of Gisèle Vienne, a French-Austrian choreographer, theater director, and artist. The main subject of her work, aimed to question our ideas of perception, are puppets, or any kind of figures, who wants to explore the concepts of sensuality, creativity, and anger as a forms of power, which can be subsersive and can create new ways to think the reality.
Gisèle Vienne · HAUS AM WALDSEE
Gisèle Vienne · HAUS AM WALDSEE
- Hip Hop. Conscious, Unconscious – Fotografiska
Fotografiska is one of my favorite art place here in Berlin, because you can always find interesting photo exhibition that speaks about counter-culture and underground movements. Currently, I would suggest you to go to this exhibition, which explores 50 years of the history of hip-hop music in a chronological order, capturing all the revolutions it has brought in music, art, fashion, and language all over the world. You can also broaden your horizon and discover something more about the history of Hip Hop in Germany, which explores and give new insights about the influence it had into the cultural and political enviornment.
Go to a festival!
- Punkfilmfest
It begins on Wendsnday, 16th October, and it ends on the 20th October, Punkfilmfest is the perfect alternative for this weekend if you want to combine watching movies, small shorts, and films exploring punk culture, and if you also want to hear punk bands playing live!
TOO DRUNK TO WATCH – Punkfilmfest – 11. Punkfilmfest – Berlin 16.-20. Oktober 2024
Punkfilmfest – Berlin.de
- Filmfest Frauenwelten – Terre des Femmes
The Frauenwelt Festival has been organized since 2001, and is among the most interesting film festival in Europe. It focuses on the human rights condition of women all over the world through short films, documentary, movies, which explores intersectional topics concerning femininity, womanhood, and condition of women. Moreover, you can find many panels with filmmakers, and human rights activists, and discussions rounds, exhibitions, and workshops.
Filmfest FrauenWelten – Menschenrechte von Frauen im Blickpunkt des Films (filmfest-frauenwelten.de)
- Oktoberfest an der Zitadelle Spandau
In case you´re missing the München Oktoberfest vibe, or you haven´t been able to head there, don´t worry! On Friday and Saturday you can head to Spandau where you can relive the excitement and atmosphere of Oktoberfest again until October 26th!
Oktoberfest an der Zitadelle Spandau – Berlin.de
Enjoying the Outdoors
Go to a Flea Market!
Berlin’s flea markets are world renowned, and I’m sure many of you have visited a few already, but there are always new flea market finds to be made. Personally, I will be spending my next free days scouring the flea markets for the perfect fall appropriate leather jacket. It can be hard to pick which flea market you want to visit, but I’ve written down a few that I think are worth checking out.
You can find a selection of nice flea markets and vintage places in our previous article: A vintage lover’s guide to Berlin – FU-BEST BLOG (fu-berlin.de)
Regardless of wether you stay in Berlin or travel somewhere new, I know you will have an amazing week, full of new sights and experiences. Don’t forget to take sometime to relax and wind down – you deserve it!
