By Susan Aurinko
Graffiti Self, Berlin
And then, there’s Berlin. Grittier and somehow more genuine than the others I have written about –proud of its full- building murals and forgiving of its tagging and omnipresent graffiti, even celebrating them in a dedicated museum, Urban Nation. Political history aside, Berlin is a great city filled with art, both ancient and contemporary. I hit the museums hard on this trip, starting with the Jüdisches Museum (the Jewish Museum) where Chicago artist Gabriella Boros has a wonderful sculptural installation in an extensive show called Sex: Jewish Positions. The exhibition was both serious and hilarious, which is not easy to do in a single show, and features work by such artistic luminaries as Judy Chicago and Noa Snir, as well as our own Gabriella Boros. https://www.jmberlin.de/ausstellung-sex-juedische-positionen
Gabriella Boros
The museum itself, though, is the real deal. Designed by American architect Daniel Libeskind, it bends, twists and slants to take the visitor to emotional places of fear and darkness, attempting to replicate the feelings of Jews during the Holocaust. I can only say that it succeeds – I found myself in tears more than once. Touching on political history briefly, I was incredibly encouraged to see quite a few non-Jewish school groups, with teachers patiently explaining the displays. Just as antisemitism begins early, so does the teaching and learning of how wrong it is.
https://www.jmberlin.de/architektur-und-gebaeude
Judisches Museum
I stayed in the same hotel I’ve stayed in twice before, The Art’Otel, Mitte (by Radisson, in case you have points). https://artotelberlinmitte.com It’s not inexpensive, but the service, the breakfast and the sauna make it worth the price, not to mention the location – away from the tourist traps, but close enough to walk to everything. I’m a huge walker and realize not everyone is, but the U2 is just across the street. During the first games of the Euro soccer championships, the U-Bahn was filled with drunken Polish fans, (you can drink on the streets in Berlin) but their team’s speedy elimination quieted things down. Berlin, as host, set up outdoor “watching areas” with huge screens throughout the city so people without tickets could watch the matches – needless to say, those got loud and rowdy.
Futball, Berlin
The Berlinische Gallery had a remarkable installation by Kader Attia in which huge carved wooden heads with the deformities of war stare at the projection of the powerful 1919, post WWI film J’Accuse by Abel Gance. www.berlinischegalerie.de Being a photographer, my favorite gallery in Berlin is The Helmut Newton Foundation’s Museum of Photography. https://helmut-newton-foundation.org/en/ and https://www.smb.museum/museen-einrichtungen/museum-fuer-fotografie/home
The day I went happened to be the Museum’s actual 20th Anniversary Celebration so the place was mobbed with photographers, collectors, and important people giving speeches. (in German, of course) The extensive exhibition was titled Berlin, Berlin, and featured not only Newton’s work of the city of his birth, but that of many other German photographers – a great day for photography!
Berlinische Gallery
I also spent half a day in the Old Masters Museum, the Gemaldegalerie, making work for my Gesture series. Standing before Botticelli’s Venus or Vermeer’s The Glass of Wine is a humbling experience, not to mention all the other amazing paintings in the museum. You would need far longer than the week I had to visit all the museums in Berlin, each of them with their own specialty. It’s taken me three Berlin stays to go to most of them and I’m sure there are more I haven’t yet discovered. https://www.smb.museum/museen-einrichtungen/gemaeldegalerie/home/
Botticelli Venus
Hands After Rembrant
And too, when it’s summer, dining outdoors, or Essen am Freien, is abundant in Berlin. I ate at one lovely restaurant in the eastern area of the Mitte where I sampled wonderful vegetarian delights, while around me Schnitzel sizzled, and tall cold pilsners sweated merrily. I had a cucumber dish my grandmother, whose family was from the Berlin area, used to make as well as some remarkable breads and cheeses. As a mostly solo traveler, I’m used to dining alone, and this beer garden felt comfortable and welcoming to all its diners and their children and dogs. I always feel safe in Berlin, although I tend to avoid the Alexanderplatz area during high tourist season – it’s crowded and a bit iffy. But take a walk along the riverbanks of the Spree or through the Tiergarten Park and you’ll learn what a delightful, relaxing city Berlin is. Because airlines don’t fly direct from Berlin to Chicago, I flew home through Paris. Completing the circle of my summer of 2024 photo expedition…I’m already
missing all three cities and deciding where to go next year!
Essen am Freien, Berlin
Die Spree (river)
