Michelberger Hotel

The Michelberger Hotel is all things good and hip about Berlin. I had the pleasure of staying here for four days last week and I have to say I totally dig this place! For 70 euros a night (including an amazing breakfast), for a single, the price is quite right as well. Set in the East, in Kreuzberg, in what was once a factory-- and from the exterior certainly retains this coldness, inside is like living inside an animated film. Drawings and quirky construction abound, but not over the top--simple, funny and well thought out, the rooms are simple, plywood dominates. I referred to my bed as my pod, as it was tucked in the side wall and felt cozy from the outdoor cold. I somehow deleted my photos just now so I copy some here but for the full experience a visit to their site is a must. www.michelbergerhotel.com/

If you are in Berlin...

If you are in Berlin this holiday season, go see the exhibition by Sarah Crowner and Paulina Oloskowa titled "Ceramics and Other Things," at the DAAD Galerie. This collaborative project is an investigation into the medium of ceramics. Each artist explores their own approach to the idea of ceramics, both working predominately with one of its basic forms, the tile. (press release). Much of this work on view is informed by a residency the pair did together in Greece this fall. The two artists work well together and share an artistic sensiblity, but they both also convey an individual artistic practice each has developed over the last several years.

The Berliner

Just back from four days in the hipster haven of Berlin. For some time now I have been curious and intrigued to visit this city so frequently praised and cited in terms of art/fashion/cutting edge bars and so on. With all the hype I was bound to be somewhat disappointed by the real thing, but I wasn't. I was surprised by how large of a city it was and realized 4 days is too short-though I did get a flavor for it. W

We arrived late afternoon on Tuesday and M went off to finish his installation at Art Forum Berlin- so I was left to wander for a few hours by myself. I was psyched to hit the Berlin pavement, but it was already pitch black at 5:30, so I kept my stroll to a small circumference around our groovy pension, the Weltempfaenger. (Carry the card with you should you need a taxi to take you back as there is no way of trying to pronounce this if not German). This small pension is located a little up from the Mitte. Rooms are sparse and concierge type service basically nil, but the bar/resto is a great hangout with good food. I was immediately enamored with the Mitte--i felt like I kept hitting cool, little galleries followed by young designer shops-often with workshops onsite. It was exactly what I imagined. Some cool highlights from this were Fiona Bennett-www.fionabennett.com, a fabulous hat shop; JA Designkonzepte-www.j-a-designkonzepte.de, whose konzepte is vintage and new fabrics transformed into beautiful scarves/eye shades/pillows/decorative items, etc.; Wolfen- www.wolfengermany.com, a lovely boutique, simple clothing, but simple in the sense of elegant designs done just right. kind of like APC does it; and Swert, www.s-wert-design.de, another fabric based concept store tho this time with an architectural//kind of retro look to the designed fabrics used as curtains, pillows, and also on clothing.

We ate (too) well in Berlin. I love the German or Dutch style cafe with the big bar, soft lighting and great coffee served with cookies. In the cold/wet weather we had for a couple of days this is essential to keep up tourist stamina. One night we had Russian food at Gorki Park and another night ate at an old-school restaurant called Einstein’s that had big, high ceilings and kind of a German-1920s vibe to it. We also had the requisite hotdogs or currywurst-(hotdog with curry spices) which left me semi-nauseous but satisfied. The weirdest thing about Berlin is how fast it can change to become a wasteland of strange (bad) architecture and void of sentiment. At the same time this also reminds one of the newness of this city and the scars that are still apparent.

Art highlights were seeing the Neue Nationalgalerie (a Mies van der Rohe building)at night; KW Institute of Contemporary Art; the Casper David Friedrich paintings on the top floor of the Alte Pinacotheque, the new Capitain Petzel Galerie located on Karl-Marx Allee-which was the long route to Moscow out of East Berlin, once upon a time, and of course, M's installation at Artforum Berlin.

Here are some pics. M took better one's so I have to wait until gets around to downloading....

Euros in New York

I descended on New York like I was a well-off European with a wallet stuffed with valuable Euros. Thanks to jetlag I woke up at 7 am last Saturday in the Big Apple with this overwhelming desire to hit the streets and shop, shop, shop. After my first purchase at Banana Republic (who knows why but I always find something there), and several other desired items in my sights, from a smattering of other boutiques, (why had I never been to Uniqlo?), I realized that though prices do seem less expensive in the city and the diversity of shops much larger, I am paid in dollars still—and a freelancer at that. Well, regardless, I had to live it up a bit so I curbed the shopping to sample sales and vintage-and alternated between a $2.00 slice of pizza for lunch and killer sushi for dinner; The two food items that Paris definitely lags behind relative to NYC—along with good take out coffee. I forgot how great it is in the morning to just have a cup to go and sip it while making your way to wherever. I had also forgotten how everyone always has a cup in their hands—at all times of the day. It’s kind of funny.

It was great to feel that fabulous energy of NYC- I definitely felt distant from it at times, like I was watching some rollercoaster from afar and just finding the right time to jump on it again and go; at the same time, the familiarity with it was comforting—knowing exactly where shops are: whether for vitamins, shoe repairs, or secondhand books. Of course in New York, you can fill every need and chore from the bank to the pharmacy to mani-pedi’s for less that $40, all within a three-block radius (less depending on the hood), and that is the best indulgence ever.

After a week I was exhausted and content. I never slept so well on a plane without sleeping pills. What a treat to arrive back in Paris, with such beautiful weather. I decided to take advantage of sunshine and my sleepiness and just grab something to eat and head to the park. I stepped into this lovely little café/resto around the corner and immediately re-claimed la vie Parisian: the special for the day was a salmon and vegetable torte (like a quiche with a flaking pastry dough crust on top as well as bottom) accompanied by three verrines: little cups filled with salty or savory: one a mousse of celery root and a julienne of vegetables, another with smoked magret de canard and caramelized onions and the last, for dessert, a crème de chocolate and pistachio. I couldn’t help but laugh as I made my way to the park. Yes indeed, back in Paris.

Arroyo Seco Ceramics

While staying with friends in Arroyo Seco, a tiny town just outside of Taos, New Mexico, I had the pleasure of walking into John Bradford Pottery..well actually he is a close friend of my friends who have their 2nd home there--and as it is a one-road kind of town, everyone knows everyone..it's great.

John Bradford has had his shop in Arroyo for about four years. When you step into the space and see the quantity of work, and then look in the back at his studio and the amount of pieces that didn't work for him, you can sense that he is serious and dedicated to his craft. He works more in series then in doing an edition of one style. In a series, pieces can work together but also stand as individual objects. He does work occasionally on commission. Check him out at www.bradfordpottery.com. Here are a few images to get you tempted.

Western Frontiers

Driving through Utah, a bit of Colorado and Northern New Mexico was amazing. Big, open skies, incredible landscape best viewed with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" playing, totally off-the-grid, is the ultimate sense of freedom. Images come from the Spiral Jetty, Sundance, Bluff, Boulder, Capital Reef, Monument Valley, Pagosa Springs and Arroyo Seco.

Four Days under the Spanish Sun

A brief 1h40min plane ride from Paris and we were in the northwest part of Spain, Galicia.
In the non-summer months this region has a climate similar to Ireland,
with lots of rain and clouds, which gives it a lush, verdant landscape.
In theSummer months, however, it is typical Spanish sun. Four days was
quick, but it was a great fix of sunshine that lasted until almost
1030pm each day...the typical hour of dinnertime tapas.Pontevedra is about 45min south of the famous Santiago de Compostella, the mecca of religious pilgrims who flock there to see the great cathedral constructed in part due to the rumor that the bones of St. James turned up on this site long ago. Pontevedra lies on a river, a beautiful bridge by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava
connects one side to the other (although of course their are other
bridges). A lovely old town anchors the town, full of restaurants and
bars. Shopping is so-so but with the sales going on, was more
appealing. We filled up on seafood--mussels, clams,octopus, and delicious albarino white wine. A short 20 minutes in a taxi brought us to a lovely beach called Montalvo. The coast here is lined with national parks/beaches that are relatively untouched. The Galician coast definitely makes for a great alternative to the typical Costa Brava along the Mediterranean.

Brussels + Antwerp

Six days in Brussels and Antwerp: The quick 1.5 hour train ride from Paris Gare du Nord to Bruxelles Midi station was misleading. Though the language is the same in Brussels and Paris, I found these two cities to be totally different and distant, as if I had flown north to Scandinavia or something. Upon our arrival my favorite game was to say, quick, look around and tell me what city you think you’re in. This sounds inane, and I guess it was, but honestly it was a tough question because it is such a diverse and international city, without any sterotyped identity like Paris or Amsterdam for instance. Brussels was a pure surprise—and a delightful one. We were expecting to be bored and take an earlier train back to Paris but instead, I found myself scanning real estate ads and considering looking for a job. We may have lucked out and it’s true that there are slight, uncontrollable occurrences on a trip that can make it a positive, so-so or bad experience. Our trick was perhaps the location of our hotel-out of the city center but only a 5-minute tram ride or 15 minute walk so that we were away from the touristy traps and were able to see a neighborhood that you would likely miss otherwise. The White Hotel is a new, design hotel. Definitely not the best example of this trend but it combined the design simplicity of the Standard Hotel in LA and invited local artists to make a piece for each room. The concierge, who otherwise was not the most friendly, did do us the favor of pointing us in the direction of the Quartier Chatelaine, where we retreated each evening after a long day shopping and art viewing, to eat in a quiet, local restaurant. Fantastic flea markets, the Bozar museum and bookstore, chocolate, beer, the lovely gardens at the Palais Laeken, Antwerp’s fabulous design and designer shops, easy transportation, and an energy that was open and friendly all combined for a relaxed and fun adventure. Ironically we arrived in what felt like winter, with a hailstorm and all, and left in mid summer, with blue skies and cafés filled with people sipping beer or white wine. This was maybe false advertising for Belgium, to see it in such beautiful weather, forgetting the many bleak winter months, but nevertheless I hope to make it back again soon. Here are some pictures.

In Brussels

In Brussels with mom. First impressions are pretty good. It is such a combination of styles...and of course all the beer and chocolate helps make things look good.
More later...

Thoughts of Restoration

I talked earlier about the Cinematheque Tangier, which has been lovingly restored by artist Yto Barrada+ her husband Sean Gullette. Walking through the streets of Tangiers you cannot help but indulge fantasies of restoring one of the amazing, old art deco or neo-classical buildings that are sadly in ruins all over the city. Fantasies of a new Miami or Nice, France float through my not-so-creative, but strong imagination. If 10-20 people took an initiative in Tangiers, like Sean and Yto, this city really could be revitalized, but unfortunately I don’t imagine it would happen for awhile. Still, M + I played around for an afternoon with the notion of taking over this old café that sits on a side street, just down from the “Chemin de Paresseux,” or the walkway of the lazy, the little stretch along the main route that has a beautiful look-out point over the ocean, where you can usually see the tip of Spain. The two-floor café has floor-to-ceiling windows that take in this view of the ocean as well. How perfect to construct an updated café on the top floor and a small bookstore or boutique downstairs? Keep it friendly for the old regulars but contemporize it for young people. Think of having such an excuse to buy loads of old tiles and furniture. Could it work? Well, perhaps—with major risks and huge commitment, but alas, my imagination and my reality have not yet found harmony, so Paris it will remain, for now.

Photos of...

Here are some photos from our trip to Tangiers. Aside from the nasty stomach virus that I unfortunately brought home with me, it was a fantastic trip. A city full of color, chaos, beauty and decay.

Tangiers

We arrived Saturday night to Tangiers for one week. For M, this is work (hopefully with some time off at the end), installing an exhibition in connection with the Salon du Livre Tanger. I have been taking in the sights and smells of this town in a slow and delightful way, aided by generous friends who live here or are here for the salon and know the ins and outs of this city.
With an arabic keyboard and no USB chord to download photos this is a brief entry with more to follow...and lots of photos: Tangier seems endlessly photogenic. I cant stop making simple comparisons between Tangier and some mid sized Mexican city. There is some real connection, aesthetically and fundamentally. Would love to know if some study had been made on this.
Highlights so far include Cinematheque Tangier: the incredible restoration project undertaken by the photographer Yto Barrada and her husband, writer and actor Sean Gillete is absolutely stunning. With precise attention to detail inside and out, this art deco building in central Tangier has been brought back to life with a cafe and two film theaters which present excellent films that range from arab to european to american to avant garde artists. Chek out their website, listed on my suggested sites.
Just next door is the Darna workshop, a womens weaving cooperative with restaurant and boutique, profits of which go to support the women and organization..obviously I went a bit shopping crazy there.
The Salon du Livre is a once a year event; this year organized by the writer and translator Omar Berrada. Lectures; roundtables and readings on a variety of subjects willl take place beginning tomorrow. Lastly, The Food: amazing... like Mexican food, spice filled, flavorful and combinations of sweet and salty...cannot stop taking pictures of the spice baskets filled skyhigh with paprika, saffron and cumin. Enough said. sorry for typos/