the last 48 hours

Deutsche Guggenheim Museum

I went to the Deutsche Guggenheim Museum to see their current exhibition on contemporary video, 'Once Upon a Time', and found this piece the most interesting by far:




"Dough" By Mika Rottenberg

I was surprised at how small the museum actually was, not realising that most of the building it is housed in belongs to its sponsor, the Deutsche Bank. Bleurgh.

Frank Gehry

On a recent walking tour of Berlin I stumbled across this breath taking interior of the DZ Bank in Mitte (based on the perspective of a fish) constructed by Frank Gehry.

I had somehow never heard of him before, despite the fact he is one of the greatest contemporary architects and built the Guggenheim museum in Spain.Other amazing buildings he has created include:


The Experience Music Project in Seattle



The Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA

zwei

I do not understand how German people are not fat. Given their fave dish is currywurst or doner kebab, it would make sense for the deutsch to be pretty podgy, but no, I have hardly seen any fatties at all.

I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!
By the time I waddle back to England I think my arteries will have given up on me.

SnooooOOp

So last night I saw Snoop D-O-double G at Columbiahalle in Berlin.
I didn't know what to expect but
IT.WAS.AMAZING.

After drinking an inrodinate amount of gin & juice on the U-bahn (how cliché, I know) we got to the venue to be greeted by a somewhat bizarre bunch of middle aged hip-hop lovers milling around outside, and eagerly made our way inside to the bar.

There was no support act, but the DJ played an interesting mix of classics including Kelis so we were happy, and by this time pretty wasted, which was just as well as drinks were (predictably) expensive.

We made our way to the front of the (notably younger) crowd and soon learnt that German Snoop Dogg fans are complete bitchez. Apparently not realising that at a concert you will get pushed around, we were recieving a whole lotta hate from the women around us for no discernable reason - did they not like out bandanas/English accents? Either way they wouldn't stop their hating, which resulted in a few scuffles and salty looks from security.

We stood our ground anyway and danced on near the front of the stage throughout, swamped amass a crowd content on waving their hands in the air to the beat and not doing much else.

Note the dog mascot, I'm sure at several points I was in a drunken trance watching this guy in his bandana, so trippy.

He played all the hits from his back catalogue, my faves including The Next Episode and P.I.M.P. An unforgettable night, and a tip for anyone in Germany with limited German skills at a Snoop concert - the phrase "Wo ist meine grass?!" will get you EVERYWHERE.

Eins

First thing to note in Germany - you are simply not cool if you need eye wear and don't have a pair of these babies...

ja.

Her morning elegance

Such an amazing video, and the song's lovely too.

Here's another video about the making of it -

Love is what you want

And I fell in love with Tracey Emin at her exhibition, currently on at the Hayward Gallery. Not particularly a massive fan beforehand, I have been converted.

The beautiful tapestries, the awful account of her abortion and the piercing neon signs were magnificent. If you had to see only one exhibition this year I would make it this one.