Awesome things from Germany

I got back from Germany yesterday afternoon and I cannot remark what an eye-opening and exciting trip I had. Check out Courtlandt Land DOT COM blog for my other trip-mates interpretations. Here are just some websites and info on artists and other stuff that I was really impressed with:

Stedefreund ~ This was a great gallery we went to that blended new media and digital art in a really cohesive show. As a group we made them a box and anonymously delivered it.

Circle Culture Gallery ~ Another interesting gallery whose current show blended sculpture, installation, prints, books and painting all referring to a street art context.

Lola Angst ~ A really interesting Electro/Thrash band whose tour bus my friend Lenny and I partied on. This bus was all black with thumping bass and as we entered (asked to go in very politely) we encountered a full bar (very nice bartender), a pot belly stove, full seating in the back, and fun people. We definitely stuck out not being all dressed up in black but no one gave us any crap.

Josetti Hoefe ~ Neat complex of housing for creative peoples that we all found really inspiring due to its concept.

Christy Moore ~ A great guitar player and singer who our hostel-mate, Michael, introduced me to via his iPod.

Deschler Gallery ~ Nice gallery with a great show up entitled "Technology Matters" with works by Jay Mark Johnson, Holger Baer, and Patricia Waller.

Ashim Ahlowalia ~ Director who did a great mash-up video of outsourced teleworkers from India. This was on view at the Museum for Communication.

Von Funken Zum Pixel ~ THE MOST PHENOMENAL new media and digital art exhibition I have every seen first-person. The talent and the ideas that were on view blew me away and really changed the way I view my own interaction with technology -and may have changed some of my future artistic output. My favorite works were by Gregory Barsamian, Christian Partos, Joachim Sauter, and Dirk Lusebrink.

Roman Singer at Hamburger Bahnhof ~ Roman Singer currently has a huge exhibition of work at Berlin's "Contemporary Art" Museum. I had seen his work in exhibitions in Chelsea, but was really impressed with the comprehensiveness of this exhibition. Really fun stuff.

Gallery en passant ~ The most friendly gallery I've ever been in. A mix of digital work and traditional media, the gallery director (who spoke to us in German, knowing no English), wanted to show us everything and try to explain it as well as possible. Upon leaving and thanking one another quite a lot, she flew out of the gallery as we were half a block down, her coat billowing around in the wind, and called us back to see more work.

Shingo Inao at General Public ~ Shingo Inao, a sound artist, performed a beautiful concert with a hand-crafted instrument at this artist owned and operated gallery. A great concert at a great venue, bar-none.


We saw a lot of other stuff at larger institutions, but these were the best ways that we spent our time in Germany (outside of the bars that is). I had a great time and still have a little jet-lag. The people I went with were simply the best and I think we all were amazed at the depth and breadth of emerging art and culture in Germany. When I upload all my photographs, I'll link to them on this blog. For now, I will do my laundry and try to organize papers and information. I love re-living a vacation through documentation.