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May 8, 2014

Photo Tour of Berlin’s Street Art Scene

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I dedicate this photo journal to my husband, the talented, award-winning artist and graphic designer, Travis Cain, for inspiring me to see the beauty in the world every single day.

Some of the best writing I have ever done was during or after distressing times. I have a trunk full of diaries with hand written  tales of teen angst, and broken hearts, and troubles at home. Before I could write, I would draw my feelings, capture them in a piece of paper and give them to whomever I wanted to express these emotions to – often times that was my mom. I have always been one to pour my emotions into some visual form of expression, whether drawn or written.

Walking through Berlin felt to me like walking through pages and pages of emotional expression. Art is everywhere. To express political, social, or even personal turmoil and celebration. It’s fitting that the graffiti capital of Europe would also be a UNESCO City of Design. Once that wall came down in 1989 West Berliners saw the gray, sterile walls of East Berlin as fresh, blank canvases for their art.

The rebellion in all of it is exactly what artistic expression is, especially for those of us who use our creativity to speak up and speak out. But there’s a lot of celebration too, the celebration of freedom of expression. Today Berlin is one of the graffiti cities in Europe.

A tourist favorite spot for graffiti viewing and photographing is along the Berlin Wall on Mühlenstraße in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, otherwise known as the East Side Gallery, where a long list of artists who contributed close to mile’s worth of art over the years.

It’s pretty cool to see something that was so oppressing and divisive be used as a medium for expression in this way. The opposite side of the wall isn’t as organized, but it is the nicest place to sit and enjoy the views of the river Spree.
Berlin Wall on Mühlenstraße_girlgonetravel Berlin Wall on Mühlenstraße_girlgonetravel However, there are other areas where I thought the graffiti was a bit more impressive. The courtyard on Rosenthaler Straße is a massive display of street art. Here artists are free to make their mark without fear of legal repercussions. It’s truly an open air museum.Graffiti Ally on Rosenthaler Straße_girlgonetravel Graffiti Ally on Rosenthaler Straße_girlgonetravel Graffiti Ally on Rosenthaler Straße_girlgonetravel Graffiti Ally on Rosenthaler Straße_girlgonetravel Graffiti Ally on Rosenthaler Straße_girlgonetravel Graffiti Ally on Rosenthaler Straße_girlgonetravel Graffiti Ally on Rosenthaler Straße_girlgonetravelIf you walk too fast, or fail to look all around, you are bound to miss something. Some art is huge, such as Astronaut Cosmonaut by Victor Ash, ROA’s Transit, and East Side Hotel Mural by Boa Mistura. Victor Ash Astronaut Cosmonaut_girlgonetravel ROA Transit in Berlin_girlgonetravel Boa Mistura in Berlin_girlgonetravelSome art is smaller and maybe a bit more hidden, but no less impactful. Berlin street art_girlgonetravel.com Berlin street art_girlgonetravel.com Berlin street art_girlgonetravel.com Berlin street art_girlgonetravel.com Berlin street art_girlgonetravel.com Berlin street art_girlgonetravel.com Berlin street art_girlgonetravel.com And not all street art in Berlin is spray painted onto walls. The Ampelmännchen (little street light man) was designed in 1961 by an East German traffic psychologist named Karl Peglau. Berlin street art_girlgonetravel.com
When the wall fell a lot of Western Berlin’s marks took over the East. However, the Ampelmännchen hung on, becoming a cultural icon admired and recognized throughout the world. It has become a symbol of reunification, of embracing signs of an oppressed society and reinventing them as unifying art and acceptance.

Berlin is one those cities you don’t close your eyes to. The old with the new, the energy and constant waves of creativity that surround you, it’s really easy to fall in love. And I definitely did.

 

Disclosure: I was the guest of Berlin Tourism.

 

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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2 Comments
  • Shaun Robertson
    May 8, 2014

    Awesome photos! I spent close to a week in Berlin and new nothing of the street art there. Looks like its time for a second look!

    Thanks for sharing

    Shaun

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Shaun Robertson
      May 9, 2014

      Thanks Shaun! I think any excuse to revisit Berlin is a good one : )

      Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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A message about yesterday’s event: Happy Monday A message about yesterday’s event:

Happy Monday, y’all. Woke up in time to enjoy the soft glow of sunlight that shines its way around our house in the morning, and sipped on a cafecito without being rushed for anything. So already today is a win. 

Yesterday we worked our longest day yet for our little coffee cart that could (7 hours!!!) at the Heritage Fiesta in Ithaca, NY. 

Though we were ready for a crowd, the reception was also unexpected because there was a popular coffee shop just steps away. 

But we had Cómodo Fam stop by, family (who also fed us 🙏🏾), and soooo many members of the Latinx and BIPOC community who were just excited to see a small business like ours representing. 

I want to share that we were ALL worried about potential harassment and assault by 🧊and fliers were handed out to prepare us. And you would think that it would’ve intimidated the community enough to not come out…BUT WE DID. In numbers. 

And for hours that little parking lot next to Press Bay Alley was packed with all sorts of Latinx and non-Latinx community members, eating, laughing, dancing, singing, and drinking all the cafecitos and refreshers we had to offer. Literally. We went home cleaned out!

All this to say that we are all aware of the threats but we also understand the power and importance of coming together as a community and a people. By no means are we all the same, and Lord knows a lot of Latinos have a lot of self-reflecting to do based on the choices they made, but yesterday was a testament to the best of us, and I thank @yenospina and @lcatompkins for putting together such a wonderful event, for inviting @cafecomodony to be a part of it, and to all the friends, old and new, who came out to support us and la cultura. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #cafecomodo #coffeelover
Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite lazy day pastimes of the season: market shopping for fall goodies - which in the Finger Lakes is especially bountiful. 

📍Joseph’s Wayside Markey, Naples, NY

#fingerlakes #newyork #octobermood #fallday
Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The proce Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The process is busy and noisy but also exciting and fun to watch. 

This cloudy morning seems to have calmed things down a bit, but not for long I am sure. These families work hard!

Bonus: they set up roadside stands so we can purchase and taste them 🍇 I highly recommend picking some up if you see some in your drive. 

#fingerlakes #lifeinthecountry #newyork
The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️ The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️
I want to take moment to send out love to my fello I want to take moment to send out love to my fellow Latinx and immigrant community. 

To send strength to my community of glorious misfits who are out in the world making good trouble and emboldening us to not give up hope on our dreams, our livelihoods, our future, our country, our people. 

The country our parents worked so hard to get to so that we could fly. A country they helped build and bring to prosper. A country our communities help to feed and house and care for. 

I am my immigrant parents dream come true, and my children are a continuation of that dream. 

I just want to remind all of us who represent the targeted, of our worth. Of the value of our contributions. In our languages, our culture, our insights, our work ethic and skills and knowledge. Of the things we bring to the table.

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or to us. But, as someone whose family lived through a dictatorship, I have an idea of how this story will end. And all I can advise is that we remain on the right side of it, our convictions unaltered, our core values untethered. Our spirits unbroken. In these stories, the monsters might scare us, and even harm some of us, but they never, ever win in the end. 

I am living proof of that. ❤️ And every time you succeed and feel joy, you are too. Pa’lante, mi gente.
Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes. Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes.

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