Your Guide to a Good July

vor 4 years

July is a great time to treat yourself to some culture. And after months of being cooped up, masked and sanitised— we deserve it!

Dearest Reader, just for you, we have compiled a guide of things to be seen, music to be heard, treats to be tasted, and art to perhaps uncomfortably relish in, all within the month of July. Its getting hot and the borders are opening (unless you’re American, in which case- yikes, our sincere condolences, we see you over there and send our love and masks).

July is a great time to treat yourself to some culture. After months of being cooped up, masked and sanitised— we deserve it! So throw something on, or take something off. With strict limitations on capacity, it took coaxing to even highlight events that we are eager to attend, out of selfishly fearing overcrowding. But we like you. Use us! Plot that Tinder date you’ve gleefully been putting off since March. See you there!

JOHANNA HEYDA
GOD IS AN ASPHYXIATING BLACK SAUCE

I chose to take it as a compliment when a friend turned me on to the sick witch Johanna, saying I was bound to see the similarities between ourselves and our outlooks on god and men, hell and the void. Well, yes, THANK YOU, she is a beautiful freaky being to be cherished.

A culmination of her work from the last ten years is currently on view through the 3rd of August, inside a 13th century Franciscan monastery, Klosterruine. Enjoy her, if you dare.

More information here: http://www.godsauce.black

VOLK OYSTER BAR
Brunnenstr. 182

Perhaps the smallest restaurant in all of Berlin, its location off Rosenthaler Platz makes up for it. The owners/dreamy duo Oliver and Margaux, from New York and France respectively, have joined together to offer us the finest French seafare one could imagine eating outside of the French seaside. With a bounty of oyster options and bottles of small batch natural wines, sitting al fresco slurping down razor clams and clinking glasses of champagne has never been so welcomed and beautiful. Fu§bier? So last year. 2020 is the time for mindful imbibing with loved ones, enjoying little luxuries in the form of honest-to-goodness, farm-to-table delights.

PS- I am no food critic, but I AM a shellfishionado. If you are contemplating the tarragon scallops, the answer is yes.

PPS- If you are a little more Warschauer picnic table and a little less Rosenthaler white tablecloth, that’s cool, they also have a new pop up location at Urban Spree.

OPEN AIR CINEMA

When I moved to Berlin, one of the first things I relished in was open air cinema in the summertime. In New York, this could never happen: tickets would be 40 bucks, parks would be overcrowded, and picnic baskets would be policed (no open alcohol containers are allowed outside!) But, you’re in Berlin now, baby, and you can have your pick of parks that will be showing a multitude of films, some for free, rarely above 5€, and while there are typically pop up stalls for local food and drinks, you are also welcome to bring your own Rotkappchen and spargel. Here you can find the official guide of parks and films, but keep your eyes open for smaller venues that will be showcasing indie films: see- Acud Macht Neu, Loophole, etc. etc.

More info here: https://openair-kino.net

KATHARINA GROSSE
IT WASN’T US x HAMBURGER BAHNHOF

Paintings by Katharina Grosse are rarely hard to miss, and they can be found everywhere: paint seeps out of buildings, down the walls, melting from ceilings to floors. “I painted my way out of the building,” she proclaims. The bright colors can be dizzying and the large scale can be disorienting. This exhibit is definitely something to be seen in person rather than via screen. Don’t be surprised if you leave with some paint in your hair.

Reserve a time slot here: https://www.smb.museum/en/exhibitions/detail/katharina-grosse/

A CITY ESCAPE
TO THE SPREEWALD FOR GHERKINS

Yes, you hear correctly. The Spreewald is notorious for one thing and one thing only: GHERKIN (while this may not be completely accurate- they also have linseed oil!- if you ask a German about the Spreewald, they will definitely talk about the best generational pickles in the world, and I trust this. Do not argue gherkin with a German.) The picturesque villages of Spreewald house an intricate network of streams and canals, and the town is best explored and voyaged by boat or kayak. If you are making this a romantic trip and only one of you likes gherkins enough to travel, there is also a boutique spa housed in an A-line cabin called Strandhaus.

MORDORKORE VOL. II
A MUSIC FESTIVAL FOR NYMPHS AND NECROMANCERS

Diskothek Melancholie is confident enough to begin plotting a small music festival at the end of this month. Their second annual gathering called Mordorkore is a medieval fantasy rave, casting a spell of Dungeons and Dragons characters alongside witches and executioners: take your pick of dance partners after stepping through the Spati, descending into their dungeon. I don’t know if all my dance muscles are still functioning, but its definitely about time they were stretched. My capes and crystals are crying out for attention, and it looks like they are about to get it.

More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/193338405310352

MILAN FASHION WEEK GOES WORLDWIDE (WEB)

The fashion industry has been turned upside down and shaken. We think this is a good thing. Instead of queuing up, fighting for better seats, worrying about silken sweat stains, and tending to blisters from the ever-losing battle between cobblestone and high heels, this year, we can watch runway shows from the comfort of our office and homes: our remarks need not be stifled, our nails need not be manicured. And it’s not just the fashion directors who will be catching first glimpses: collections from the likes of Prada and Gucci will be revealed at the same time to everyone, regardless of class, creed, or who-you-know.

Follow along the ever expanding schedule here: https://fashionweekonline.com/milan/schedule

Text: Janna Shaw

Images courtesy of Johanna Heyda, Volk, Hamburger Bahnhof, OpenAirKino, Spreewald Tourist Committee, Mordorkore, and Vogue