We went to the Reichstag today. The walkway outside the building is incredibly beautiful. Because it is autumn, the tree bark is black and bare, but surrounded by so much life through colour from fiery leaves. The outer building was so old and marvellous, accompanied by the autumn air, I find that it almost looks forgotten. The only thing that ruins the building's atmosphere a bit are the LED blue lights. The inside of the building is equally impressive but in a different way.
It reminds me of a set for a modern day sci-fi movie such as the Host, Cloud Atlas and Divergent as it is a large space, White washed and with few people. The inside is both modern and futuristic, like a neo steampunk type style.
I didn't expect to like any of the work in the museum as I was rather focused on finding information for my essay which explores the themes of masculinity in WWI German propaganda and modern day German advertising. However Joseph Beuy's and Anselm Kiefer's work was inspiring. I enjoy political art because when people have something to say, or aspire to use their artwork to make the world a little bit better, you have more of a purpose outside of yourself. Joseph Beuy understood the importance of equality. He wanted to heel the scars of the war and join humanity together, all using various installations.
He is empathetic towards people and nature due to his experience during WWII when a tribe of people healed his scars after he had crashed his plane. He uses those same materials such as fat and felt over and over to try emphasise the message that Germany can and will heal from WWII. In his one piece of work he creates these mounds of fat that change ofer time. He hopes to heal Germany over time. Nothing stays the same. This piece is very affective as the fat mounds degrade over time and machines have been put into place to try to keep them together but you can see the wires attached. The context behind the lumps of fat also helps illustrate what he tried to accomplish. Although if one did not know the context then they wouldn't know the message, in this way the piece is ineffective.
Anselm Kiefer's dress is easy to understand. The piece is dramatic and uses symbols that are not difficult to decifer. The sculpture is beautiful. Kiefer's used casting to make the dress part, the stiff structure allowed him to stick independent glass shards into the dress. The water washed brown and pink drips, contrasts the dress from the walls but at the same makes it look like whoever could wear this dress is covered in blood and mud and then rained upon. It affectively gives a cold, wet and brutal feeling. The head of the dress is a wired cross, the metal almost looks like it could have been formed in an area where materials are limited. So it makes it seem that it could been made by a refugee during the war, the cross has numbers hanging from it. It could either symbolize the amount of people that died during the world, or that people are only seen as numbers when there is war.
After this museum me and some friends went to the natural history museum. I enjoy learning about the evolution of the planet, and coming from South Africa, and getting to live in the rural parts of Switzerland, I feel quite connected with nature, so I'm interested in the science behind it.
Design wise, natural history museums are wonderfully layed out. This one was in a decorated old building, the inside was absolutely spectacular. It reminded me of what the streets of an Italian or Victorian England town may look like. Everything looks like an old science lab with jar specimens, however thanks to modern day technologies things are also very interactive. This aids people in understanding the science behind their exhibits. There was an exhibit on planets for example and the roof would move toward and away from an area where you could lie down and watch how the galexy was formed.
Afterwards we went to the Berlin Christmas market which was so cute because the stands were in the shape of old ski chalets. It's strange that with celebrations like Easter and Christmas, things are very traditional and old. People enjoy the quaintness of family holidays than something commercial.
Finally we walked to see parts if the Berlin Wall. It's odd to think that an entire country was divided by a wall, and families separated by a layer of concrete and guards. I don't know if that has happened before in other countries, but its just so bizarre.
It reminds me of a set for a modern day sci-fi movie such as the Host, Cloud Atlas and Divergent as it is a large space, White washed and with few people. The inside is both modern and futuristic, like a neo steampunk type style.
I didn't expect to like any of the work in the museum as I was rather focused on finding information for my essay which explores the themes of masculinity in WWI German propaganda and modern day German advertising. However Joseph Beuy's and Anselm Kiefer's work was inspiring. I enjoy political art because when people have something to say, or aspire to use their artwork to make the world a little bit better, you have more of a purpose outside of yourself. Joseph Beuy understood the importance of equality. He wanted to heel the scars of the war and join humanity together, all using various installations.
He is empathetic towards people and nature due to his experience during WWII when a tribe of people healed his scars after he had crashed his plane. He uses those same materials such as fat and felt over and over to try emphasise the message that Germany can and will heal from WWII. In his one piece of work he creates these mounds of fat that change ofer time. He hopes to heal Germany over time. Nothing stays the same. This piece is very affective as the fat mounds degrade over time and machines have been put into place to try to keep them together but you can see the wires attached. The context behind the lumps of fat also helps illustrate what he tried to accomplish. Although if one did not know the context then they wouldn't know the message, in this way the piece is ineffective.
Anselm Kiefer's dress is easy to understand. The piece is dramatic and uses symbols that are not difficult to decifer. The sculpture is beautiful. Kiefer's used casting to make the dress part, the stiff structure allowed him to stick independent glass shards into the dress. The water washed brown and pink drips, contrasts the dress from the walls but at the same makes it look like whoever could wear this dress is covered in blood and mud and then rained upon. It affectively gives a cold, wet and brutal feeling. The head of the dress is a wired cross, the metal almost looks like it could have been formed in an area where materials are limited. So it makes it seem that it could been made by a refugee during the war, the cross has numbers hanging from it. It could either symbolize the amount of people that died during the world, or that people are only seen as numbers when there is war.
After this museum me and some friends went to the natural history museum. I enjoy learning about the evolution of the planet, and coming from South Africa, and getting to live in the rural parts of Switzerland, I feel quite connected with nature, so I'm interested in the science behind it.
Design wise, natural history museums are wonderfully layed out. This one was in a decorated old building, the inside was absolutely spectacular. It reminded me of what the streets of an Italian or Victorian England town may look like. Everything looks like an old science lab with jar specimens, however thanks to modern day technologies things are also very interactive. This aids people in understanding the science behind their exhibits. There was an exhibit on planets for example and the roof would move toward and away from an area where you could lie down and watch how the galexy was formed.
Afterwards we went to the Berlin Christmas market which was so cute because the stands were in the shape of old ski chalets. It's strange that with celebrations like Easter and Christmas, things are very traditional and old. People enjoy the quaintness of family holidays than something commercial.
Finally we walked to see parts if the Berlin Wall. It's odd to think that an entire country was divided by a wall, and families separated by a layer of concrete and guards. I don't know if that has happened before in other countries, but its just so bizarre.