Tacheles

Tacheles was a wacky place! I have never seen anything like it before! Thinking back to my feelings about the grafitti lift we saw on the first day, it was nothing compared to this place! It was so unusual but I loved the expression you could feel from the artists work. 

Over 50 artists have studio space at Tacheles, they were working as we were looking around, you could see what they were producing and could ask them about their work if you wanted to. The walls inside the building were floor to ceiling with street art, every space was filled with a funny little spray painted man or a piece of well designed type. It really was fantastic to think about how they have turned what was a derelict building into such an inspiring place for artists and designers. If this place was near by I would certainly visit for inspiration! 

Outside, Tacheles was like a dumping ground, old bits of cars, metal pieces, bits of mirrors old fridges. A lot of the work you had to step over or climb through to get a view of it, but I felt that this added to the freedom of expression, it wasn’t highly structured like you would find at the MOMA in New York or any other museum, it was the complete opposite! Everything was everywhere and you had to search to find work. It was great, the way it was laid out made you feel like part of the work, I felt involved. Brilliant place!

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

The Sachsenhausen Concentration camp is recently being developed into a more viewer friendly place. Rather than leaving the remains of the buildings as they are, the Designers have began to cover up what used to be there and turn the original buildings into museums. The map which guided us around the place was very well designed and the posters to go with them looked great. The camp was an eerie and depressing place. I know a lot about this period in history and have seen many films regarding this subject, so to go to one of the concentration camps and see where these things used to happen felt surreal. 

Although I loved the way the museums had been put together and how the information was portrayed, I felt that it had been over modernized which made the experience less heart hitting. One of the barracks had been left the way it was in those times, with the cramped triple bunk beds and the tiny washing area. This idea, to leave it exactly how it was, allowed you to imagine just how it would have been living there. 

Although the designs in the museums were good, I didn’t feel that they were appropriate for this kind of place. Instead of presenting the viewer with lots of information I feel that they would create more of an experience for people if they kept it to a minimum. Maybe just having small headings or a few quotes and then leaving the place as it. By developing the insides of the barracks into modern museums people forget where they actually are therefore losing impact. I do feel that the Germans struggle to present these places because they are areas which they feel sensitive about.  

Bauhaus Archive

We visited the Bauhaus Archive during our trip to Berlin. I was particularly interested because the Bauhaus and its designers have always inspired me, I love their minimalist approach and their use of geometric shapes. It is also a main aspect of my Dissertation this year so I was very intrigued to see what the museum was about and which of the works it would display. I wanted to get some first hand responses for my essay and maybe even an interview with someone who worked there.

The museum showed an overview of the work created during the Bauhaus time (1919-1933) including architecture, graphics, drawings, furniture design etc it was a very small museum consisting of only one room and a shop, It wasn’t what I was expecting. The others found it inspiring, but because I had such high expectations I felt disappointed. The work in there was great, and it was good to see the originals rather than in a book or on a computer screen. I just felt like I wanted to see more! 

The archive was very tricky to find, there were no clear directional signs and it wasn’t even noted on the map. I found it hard to see why it wasn’t celebrated more, The Bauhaus was a massive movement for Design and architecture but I felt like it wasn’t important anymore, as if the Germans were covering it up. I had high expectations for the Bauhaus archive and considering how much it inspires me as a Designer I was disappointed with how unimportant it seemed.

Reichstag

The Reichstag is Germany’s famous parliament building. Its architectural Design by Norman Foster, who also designed “The Gherkin” in London, is fantastic conceptually and visually. The public are able to visit the building and go up into the dome, from the dome you can see down onto the parliament floor. This is so that when parliament are discussing they can look up into the dome and see who they are making decisions for - the general public. 

Inside the dome there are hundreds of mirrors, reflecting onto other people and also to the outside view of Berlin. We visited the Reichstag at night, the outside view was fantastic. I loved taking photographs and just thought it was beautifully designed, I took so many photographs in this building of the structure and of the reflections and patterns which the mirrors created. I also loved the idea of being able to see into the parliament room. I saw the similarity between Graphics and Architecture, I used to think that as long as a building worked it was fine. But this made me see that having a solid idea is just as important as it is to a Graphic Designer.

Arriving in Berlin

During the third year of university, me and a few friends thought it would be appropriate to take some time out of our studies to search for some inspiration and get us ready for our final year! Me, Becky Doherty, Russell Hopkins and James Lane booked the unusual city of Berlin for five nights. A spontaneous decision which I will not regret!

First introduction to Berlin- Graffiti Lift

After arriving, I didn’t believe I was in Germany until seeing this lift. I found it typical of Berlin, covered in graffiti, unattractive scuff marks and posters, yet still in fully working order! It was the only way to get off the train platform with our suitcases and it was the most untrusting lift I have seen.

The whole of Berlin is run down and yet built up at the same time, I felt that this lift symbolized the way Berlin is and how the City works. It is what I liked so much about the place, people are able to express themselves whilst carrying on with their everyday lives. It made me take a step back whereas Germans would use it without a thought.