‘Meet The Locals’ Archives
Mother Drucker
Elsa Thorp profiles a new screen printing and exhibition space in Kreuzberg... Mother Drucker, a new gallery and screen-printer’s studio that has opened up in a former hair salon in Kreuzberg, was set up by artist couple Dolly Demoratti and Gemma Brewer who moved from London to Berlin in February 2010. "Gemma, who is half German, had visited Berlin many times in the past and had a connection with the city already," explains Dolly. "It was number one on her list of places to move to. [...]
Elbspeicher
A newly opened Prenzlberg café that specialises in Hamburg coffee roasts… New places come and go all the time in Berlin - especially in the innercity areas, where restaurants, shops and cafes pop up or disappear pretty much overnight without any kind of warning. Elbspeicher on Prenzlauer Berg’s Sredzkistrasse (a joy to pronounce with a mouthful of cake) is one such place. One minute there was a nondescript, easily ignorable shop of some kind; the next a very posh looking space [...]
Dialogue Berlin
Wyndham Wallace talks to Sharmaine Lovegrove of Dialogue about the latest chapter in her quest to bring English language literature to Berlin… In 2009, former Londoner Sharmaine Lovegrove set up Dialogue in the back of a Prenzlauer Berg café, seeking to provide not only a source of contemporary English language books – including translations – but also to provide a focus for the city’s English speaking, book loving community. Though other stores existed that sold English language [...]
Slow-style Xmas Gifts…
Berlin Reified's Sylee Gore shares some of her Slow-style gift ideas for those both near & far... December now, and the scramble of Christmas begins in earnest. What you want isn't stress but pleasure. Choose the right shops, and shopping for presents is a gift in itself. You, like me, might divide your list between those near and far. For parcels abroad, I favor linens, knits and teas. Everyone who loves bread will get a Manufactum bread bag in herringbone linen to keep their [...]
Frank Schirrmeister: Photographer Q&A
Paul Sullivan chats to Berlin-based photographer Frank Schirrmeister... Was there a main 'trigger' or catalyst that got you interested in photography? Yes, there was. After many years of searching for what should become of me and a few attempts in photography it eventually clicked when I was in my early 30s. I remember spending the summer as a lifeguard on a small island on the North Sea coast when my girlfriend left me eight years ago. In order to cope with the situation (I was [...]
Sake Kontor
Peggy Schatz explores Berlin's one and only dedicated sake shop... In the mouse-grey surroundings of the perpetual construction site of Ostkreuz train station lies a lit-up splash of colour where the first and only shop in Europe for premium Japanese sake opened its gates last Saturday. You might asking yourself why such an exclusive business didn't set up shop in Mitte. Probably partly to do with the more affordable rents in this area, but the main reason is simply that there's more [...]
Night Of The Pawn
Joseph Pearson of Berlin Memory Blog explores Berlin's underground chess scene... It's an abandoned brewery. You enter a gate, a waif-like woman lit by candlelight admits you, but gives no directions. You find yourself in a yard with a hundred parked bikes but no people. Lamps do little to up-light the darkened buildings. There's hesitation, you try a few doors, they're all locked. But you hear music, perhaps the static of conversation, and you divine the right stairwell. It's broken [...]
Berlin’s Most Interesting Person
Paul Sullivan talks to Stuart Acker Holt about his Most Interesting Person project in Berlin... What makes a person interesting? It's a very good question, and one that a new 'long-trail' film series called Most Interesting Person (MIP) sets out to answer. A series of innovative films that provide insights into the lives of exceptional people and the impact they have had on our cultural landscape, the project has taken its founder Stuart Acker Holt to New York, LA, London, Sao Paulo, Tel [...]
The Musik Department
Thought vinyl was a dying format? Dave Tinning profiles a brand new Berlin store that underlines its continuing vitality... What’s immediately alluring about Musik Department, located on Mitte’s Invalidenstrasse, is its welcoming, well-lit interior, tastefully decorated with original posters from the 60s and 70s, and littered with album sleeves and music-related curios. There’s plenty of space in the shop to browse the vinyl, CDs and books, and plenty of reasons to take your time; [...]
Peter Broderick: Musical Minimalist
Peter Broderick has swiftly made a reputation for himself as one of the most adventurous musicians around. Born in Portland, Oregon, he now lives in Berlin, though only when he’s not touring or collaborating with artists like Efterklang. He’s just released two albums: How They Are is a ‘stop-gap’ release, according to the label behind it, Bella Union, and its stark but beautiful arrangements have won him further plaudits, not only thanks to the inclusion of a song written from the [...]
