Preview: New Kids on the Black Bloc

Plateau Gallery @ The Greenhouse Berlin

Greenhouse Berlin

Neglected urban spaces seem to capture a large part of the Berlin aesthetic.  That's why the city's endless, derelict stretches are such a huge attraction in and of themselves.  They don't need signposts or missions statements - no, those would just get in the way.  Instead, they speak to us through a special feeling: like you've just reached the final frontier in the last undeveloped European city.  Like there's still something undefined that you can reach for beyond the unyielding bricks and cement, existing only to be experienced.  Like the terms haven't been created yet to describe what lies out there...

That's why I'm uplifted to hear that more and more DIY, multipurpose event spaces are cropping up on the outskirts of the city, and opting to keep the city's left-wing, activist ethics alive.  There's a part of the modern Berlin soul that you can only you capture by giving people a place and a time to explore, experiment and leave their own mark without any pre-judgement.  Unfortunately, many people who come here are too busy leaving their trademark around town to let that happen.  But the thing about the underground wellspring is, when you block off one outlet, another one pops up somewhere else.  And the fact that that a lot of those are still popping up tells me that the current here is still going strong. 

EAST:

La Casa. (U-Bahn: Louis Lewin Strasse)

La Casa has established itself as a makeshift Antifa HQ and freewheeling drop-in center for activists, refugees, music lovers, street artists... basically, the kind of people that you and I would be happy to call "locals". If you want to get a taste of what the place is like firsthand, read on...

La Casa's party space by night.  And probably by day too.

Streetart... in Marzahn?!  Yes this really is happening!

Tonight, La Casa's partying Marzahn hard techno-style, courtesy of the Druzba collective.  As well as dark, ceiling-dripping techno,  they'll also be laying on "fresh fruit, decorations from Leipzig and live lighting."  All at low, low prices - surely the biggest perk of partying on the outskirts of town.  For a sample of the sort of music they'll be bashing out, check out this mix by Princess-o-mat of the 'Procrastinators United' label  (probably 99% of Berliners could be signed on to that one).

SOUTH-WEST:

The Greenhouse Berlin (U-Bahn Hermanstrasse)

The Greenhouse is a green beehive near the south end of Tempelhof that has "more than 200 artists’ studios dedicated to different forms of music, arts, design and multimedia."  It hosts everything from alternative fashion shows to art installations to theatre and parties. 

Tonight, it's hosting an art exhibition in it's 8th story Plateau Gallery (pictured top), which starts at 8 p.m.


NORTH: 

Mensch Meier (Landsberger Allee S-Bahn)

Can't not mention the Mensch!  I've already written a bit about them here and here.  Tonight, they'll be doing an Artists in Action event that comes complete with, "Kino, Kabarett, Konzert + Kunstinstallation + Workshops".  That's just a direct quote from their website, but I feel that it translates pretty well into English, too.

And finally, here's one just for the clubbers...

WEYDE in Schöneweide (Tram 17,27 or 37)



According to the Berlin Ist Techno website, Weyde was designed by Berghain's architectural firm.  But from what I've seen so far, their music policy is already a tad more diverse than that.  At the very least, they'll throw a bit of Goa and psy into the mix alongside the banging techno.  

The 1000-capacity club will eventually comprise three floors: on the rooftop, by the riverside and a cave floor indoors for those who like to shun the daylight.  But tonight you can get a sneak preview at their weekly event called... "Weyde".

Just like many of their more centrally-located predecessors, the venues above are made up of vast spaces: sprawling factories with adjacent vacant lots and rivers and towering brickwork canvases for walls.  Sure, they might be a wee bit further out than most of us are used to going but, come spring, the trek will be just another excuse to catch a breeze on a long, balmy night.  

So why not be the first and check them out now?