73 degrees outside (it sounds weird for me to use your Fahrenheit, it seems like quite a lot), the sun shining, the end of the semester slowly approaching… The Open Air season has already started, and this week you will probably enjoy May Day in Kreuzberg. But along this Oh-Gott-Spring-is-finally-really-coming spirit, there are still a lot of interesting concerts, exhibitions, lectures and gallery openings to enjoy ;)
► Sunday 26th : Ein Tag am Strand
Berlin is famous for its open air parties, and with the summer slowly coming, the first ones are already taking place. On Sunday, the Grünau beach, one of Berlin’s oldest Strandbad (opened in 1908), is welcoming seven DJs to make you dance all through the afternoon. A musical sunbath only one hour from campus, and a good alternative to the darkness of the clubs if you want to listen to some local electronic music. You can already buy tickets here.
Time : 14:00-Open End
Place : Strandbad Grünau, Sportpromenade 9
How to get there from campus : Take the 150 to S Schönholz, the S8 to Grünau, and then the 68 to Strandbad Grünau (travel time : 1h)
Price : 8€ (34€ for 5 people)
► Monday 27th : FilmPolska
Director Paweł Pawlikowski, who recently won the Oscars 2015 for Foreign Language Film for his film Ida, embodiesthe very promising renewal of Polish cinema. Held until April 29th in many different movie theaters in Berlin, FilmPolska is the biggest Polish film festival outside of Poland. The festival celebrates it 10th anniversary with around 100 feature and short films, documentaries, and for the first time a section on horror films. Several films are screened with english subtitles (check out OmeU films in the program), among which Warsaw Stories, a collective work constituted of six episodes relating the story of the Polish capital and its inhabitants. Two of the directors will be present on Monday at FSK Kino for an open Q&A session.
Time : 20:30
Place : FSK Kino am Oranienplatz, Segitzdamm 2
How to get there from campus : Take the Bus 150 to Osloer Strasse and the U8 to Moritzplatz (40min)
Price : 6€
► Tuesday 28th : Alexander Skrjabin
The internationally renowned Hanns Eisler School of Music offers each year around 300 public events and concerts, often with free admission. On Tuesday evening, you are welcome to a piano recital with works by Russian composer Alexander Skrjabin, on the occasion of the centennial of his death. If you prefer violin, there is another concert on that same evening. You can also check out the full program of their other events !
Time : 19:00
Place : Hanns Eisler School of Music, Studiosaal, Charlottenstraße 55
How to get there from campus : Take the M1 to Pankow and the U2 to Hausvogteiplatz (35min)
Price : 0€
► Wednesday 29th : Ape Culture
The new exhibition at Haus der Kulturen der Welt is opening on Wednesday evening, in presence of curators and artists. Exploring the relationship that links us to other primates, the exhibition aims at investigating “the hegemonic and subversive potential of how apes are represented and reflects upon the term ‘culture’”. On Thursday evening, you might also be interested by a performance by Ines Douja (“06 Kriminalaffe”), followed by alecture by Christophe Boesch, expert in primatology (“Is Culture a Golden Barrier Between Human and Chimpanzee?“), both are free and in English !
Time : 18:00
Place : Haus der Kulturen der Welt, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10
How to get there from campus : Take the M1 to Hackescher Markt, walk to the Bus Stop Spandauer Str./Marienkirche and take the Bus 100 from there to Haus der Kulturen der Welt (50 min)
Price : 0€
► Thursday 30th : How to do Art with Protest ?
Conceptual artist Thierry Geoffroy and art historian Sebastian Baden are offering aPerformance-Lecture in English on the topic of art and political protest on Thursday evening in Prenzlauer Berg. Questioning the aesthetics of demonstrations on the one hand, and the artistic appropriation of protest movements on the other hand, they investigate the dilemma of ‘political art’, between autonomy and self-assertion. Thierry Geoffroy is famous for having created a new art format, know as “Emergency Art”. This event is part of a lecture series on ‘the Art of Protest’, which is co-organized by the Freie Universität Berlin.
Time : 18:00
Place : Literaturwerkstatt, Kulturbrauerei, Knaackstraße 97
How to get there from campus : Take the M1 to Eberswalder Strasse (20min)
Price : 0€
► Friday-Sunday, May 1st-3rd : Biergartensaisoneröffnung
Much fewer tourists than at Prater Garten, much less polished and perfect than the newly renovated Kulturbrauerei, and certainly a much nicer atmosphere. At the border between Pankow and Prenzlauer Berg, the Willner Brauerei is one of these many breweries that were left abandoned and later turned into cultural venues. This one offers a very pleasant Biergarten, a pizzeria and some exhibition spaces. Starting on Thursday night with the traditional Tanz in den Mai, WBB is opening the season with a 3-days festival : exhibitions, light-shows, concerts, puppet theatre, open studios and workshops, everything is for free, except the beer !
Time : From Thursday evening to Sunday evening
Place : WBB Willner Brauerei Berlin, Berliner Straße 80
How to get there from campus : Take the M1 to Schönhauser Allee/Bornholmer Str. (15min)
Price : 0€
► Friday-Sunday, May 1st-3rd : Gallery Week-End
The eleventh Gallery Weekend Berlin takes place over the week end, with more than 50 galleries opening their exhibitions. As in each year, established artists as well as promising newcomers spanning historical and contemporary positions will be presented, what makes for an exquisite art experience. You will find a map of all participating gallerieshere, and the whole program here.
Time : Friday 18:00-21:00, Saturday and Sunday 11:00-19:00
Place : more than 50 galleries throughout Berlin
Price : 0€
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