Urban Observations Berlin (6): Christopher Winter
Travelling through Berlin is like moving through slices of World History, says Berlin based painter Christopher Winter. He speaks about his reasons to move to Berlin, about why he wants people to react to his paintings, and why his work has its roots in the English Punk movement of the 1970s.
Urban Observations Berlin (5): Anton Waldt
When he moved to Berlin in 1990, the city was like an adventurous playground, says Anton Waldt, Berlin-based author and editor-in-chief of De:Bug magazine. He speaks about one of the last squats standing, about how Berlin Mitte has changed, and about why the protagonist of his book is sort of an echo of the Berlin of the 90s.
Urban Observations Berlin (4): Stephanie von Beauvais
When she moved to Berlin in 1992, she had a feeling that the Bohème was just sitting things out, says Berlin filmmaker Stephanie von Beauvais. This changed when the city became attractive to a lot of people from around the world. She speaks about the ‘lived in’ district of Kreuzberg, about her career and about her motto in life “dream it, plan it, then do it”.
Urban Observations Berlin (3): Nico Anklam
Berlin is a horizontal city, says Berlin based art historian Nico Anklam. Although this is not true in a metaphorical sense – Berlin will always remain somehow provincial. He speaks about the art world of Berlin, the difference between Berlin and New York, and why the “caravan of artists” might move on to another city some day.
Urban Observations Berlin (2): Ulli Lust
A male choir in a park, singing songs at 2 a.m. – Berlin keeps on surprising her, says graphic novelist and cartoonist Ulli Lust. She speaks about the city’s art world, about fashion victims and about the multi-cultural youth at ‘Mauerpark,’ the epicenter of ultimately hip Berlin.
Urban Observations Berlin (1): Gina Tonic
“If the city of Berlin were a drag queen, she’d be fat and ugly, but with a heart of gold,” says Gina Tonic. A born Berliner, she speaks about her city, about how Berlin has changed and about what it means to live and work in the illusory world of the Berlin nightlife.
Urban Observations New York (6): Benjamin Weber
A Beastie Boys record made him want to move to New York. About 10 years later, Brooklyn-based painter and photographer Benjamin Weber is still in love with the city. He speaks about his life as a ‘citizen of the world’, why he likes walking in New York and about visual arts in the age of the internet.
Urban Observations New York (5): Wickham Boyle
New York journalist and writer Wickham Boyle has lived in the Manhattan neighborhood of TriBeCa for more than 30 years. She speaks about how the city has changed throughout the years, about the horrible events of 9/11, which happened literally at her front door, and why after all these years she is still in love with New York City.
Urban Observations New York (4): Joshua Sanchez
Brooklyn based filmmaker Joshua Sanchez speaks about finding like-minded people in the city, about his long path from being a suburban punk-rock kid in Texas to becoming a filmmaker in New York, and his recent 90 minute feature film ‘Four’.
Urban Observations New York (3): Andrianna Campbell
New York art historian and curator Andrianna Campbell speaks about ‘the urban gaze’ of the city dweller, the gallery scene in Chelsea and in Brooklyn, and how the ‘great recession’ had an impact on the world of art in New York City.
Urban Observations New York (2): Isaac Littlejohn Eddie
Brooklyn-based cartoonist and Blue Man Group performer Isaac Littlejohn Eddy about being an artist in New York. He speaks about what it means to be a cartoonist in the age of Photoshop and the internet.
Urban Observations New York (1): Linda Simpson
One of New York City’s most established drag queens, Linda speaks about her career in the city, what New York means to her and how the city has changed throughout the years.