As you might have seen here on the Circus blog, we are extremely privileged to be hosting the work of some of the artists from Rotebete. This Friday, they are opening the doors of their exhibition space for the first time as they host their official launch party, showcasing their collection, and hosting the Scanned Scapes exhibition, by artists Beka Grigauri and Levan Manjavidze.

So here’s the lowdown: the Scanned Scapes exhibition contrasts the works of two talented Georgian artists in opposing media – Beka’s oils are inspired by American abstract expressionism; whilst breaking from his traditional style, Levan experiments with digital media. The two artists’ works, though contrasting each other in forms, are interlinked through the themes of landscapes and horizons and their study of infinite lines and continuity. The vernissage will be accompanied by a live jazz performance by Beka Grigauri & Friends and Lird Records’ DJ set.

Details:

Rotebete Launch Party / Scanned Scapes exhibition
Friday 18^th May 2012
7pm
Reichenberger Str. 104, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Check out the Facebook event page for updates and more information.

We currently have the good folks from Dancing Brave Pictures with us at the Circus, who are filming in the hotel for their new production “Open My Eyes, Close My Eyes… I See You.” Fantastically, it turns out that not only are they filming scenes in both the rooms and Fabisch, but also that the filmmaker Marcel Grant stayed with us previously at the Circus and wrote some of the script in the hotel.

Here’s a plot synopsis from the Dancing Brave website:

Hired to find missing particle physicist Dr Günther Meinertzhagen, CERN consultant Jeffery Anderson travels from Geneva to Berlin in order to interview Ambrose, the scientist’s wife, and to discover the truth behind his disappearance. Immediately attracted to the detached Ambrose, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and a final encounter with Meinertzhagen.

It is very exciting to have the cast and crew of “Open My Eyes…” here with us, and we wish them every success with the production. We will take some more pictures of the filming at the hotel over the next couple of days.

MOAIS is a city inhabited by small white mechanical creatures who spend their time, when not working, in dream casinos. Their lives are controlled by The Council, a self-elected government, who control the so-called Great Machines that are linked to the deep, dark secret of the city. For beneath the streets is a human, lying in a coma-like state and controlled by The Council, whose energy powers the city and whose emotions are felt and processed by the city’s inhabitants.

We are really pleased to be hosting a three-dimensional fragment of the city in the Circus Hostel Kunstbox. And there you can also see Jack, the hero of the piece. The Moais project tells the story of a white little fellow named Alpha Model Ergo Z S0, or simply Jack. Jack is a loner, moody and quizzical, who works as a writer for the newspaper ‘Daily Moais’. He hates his job but he loves the liquor. Beyond all the common city nonsense Jack has to write about he carries around a story of his own. And it’s probably one of his best.

MOAIS EXHIBITION / BERLIN 2012
By Joerg Steineck and Julia Stone
You can find out more about the project, from photos to video clips, on the website. The exhibition will be hosted at the Kunstbox until the end of June.

If you would like to take a closer look and meet the artist(s), there will be a small gathering at the Kunstbox on Wednesday 23^rd May 2012, from 5pm until 7pm. See you there.

Last night we had a nice gathering at the Circus Apartments, taking over the sixth floor Apartment Groß with some friends and business partners for some tasty treats, cool drinks and great views from the roof terrace across the city. It was lovely to see everyone and have the time to share a drink and a chat, and we would also like to thank all those partners that helped us with the event – Iittala, Weinladen Schmidt, Sound Brothers, Green Living, Mirador Berlin, Nordmann, Fritz Kola, Spreequell – and DJ Corin from Dangerous Drums for providing the soundtrack to the event.

Here are some more pics:

On Wednesday evening we were really happy to welcome Greg Baxter to the Circus for the launch and a special reading of his new novel “The Apartment.” The reading was held, appropriately enough, in one of the Circus Apartments on Chorniner Straße, and it was a wonderful evening. Many thanks go of course to Sharmaine and the team at Dialogue Books for organising the event, and if you would like to find out more about the book, you can get it on the Dialogue website or head down to their shop in Kreuzberg.

Here are some more pictures:

(photos by Katrin)

As the weather gets better, we thought we would start a little series on the blog of places a little bit beyond the centre of town, that might make a nice day-trip and a chance to see a different side of our city and its surroundings. This blog comes from our Cwiki – a wonderful tool that is basically the Circus staff’s own guide to Berlin, including everything from bars and clubs to books, sports and, yes,day trips. So go check it out… and take a look at Köpenick as well.

The district of Köpenick in the southeast of Berlin was once a town in its own right, and it still has its own distinct feel. The Altstadt (Old Town), a walk or tram ride from the S-Bahn station, is still laid out according to the medieval town plan. The most prominent building is the Neo-Gothic town hall which actually has a pretty good restaurant in the basement serving heavy duty German food. It was built in 1901 and features a very impressive clock tower.

The statue of the gentleman (The Captain of Köpenick), which stands outside the main entrance, commemorates an incident that took place here. In 1906, an unemployed man called Voigt disguised himself as an army officer and commandeered a troop of soldiers. He then marched them to Köpenick Town Hall and, with their assistance, requisitioned the contents of the municipal safe. Having then ordered his detachment to take the mayor and accountant to the guardhouse, he promptly disappeared. Although he was soon caught the story was seized upon as an example of the Prussian propensity to blindly follow anyone in a uniform.

At the southern end of the Altstadt is a baroque Schloss, which was built back in the 17th Century and houses the Museum of Applied Arts, whilst a short walk away is the Kietz, a cobbled street of 13th Century fishing cottages. Next to Koepenick is the Mueggelsee, a really popular lake in the summer for swimming and general sun-worshipping. There is also an FKK (nudist) section for those that are that way inclined. Also on the southern side of the lake is the Mueggelsee Tower, the top of which offers outstanding views of the entire area.

On the first day of May it is the start of the open-air swimming season at many of Berlin’s “Freibäder”. These are the official bathing spots on Berlin’s many lakes, and not only do they offer easy access into the water, but also you can usually rent paddle boats, play some table tennis, and do other bucket-and-spade type activities more normally associated with the beach. The famous Strandbad at Wannsee already opened a few weeks ago, and on 1^st May your options are increased as the Freibäder at Weissenseee, Friedrichshagen, Orankesee and the Jungfernheide open their doors for the 2012 season.

If you fancy a bit of a swim, you can find locations to the different pools on this website, or else come and ask one of your friendly receptionists at the Circus.

Here’s some more about the book from the organisers:

“One snowy morning in an old European capital, a man wakes in a hotel room. A young local woman he has befriended calls to the hotel, and the two of them head out into the snow to find the man an apartment to rent.

Greg Baxter’s astonishing first novel tells the story of these two people on this day – and the old stories that brought them to where they are. Its magically subtle and intense narrative takes them across the frozen city and into the past that the man is hoping to escape, and leaves them at the doorstep of an uncertain future.

The Apartment is a book about war, the relationship between America and the rest of the world, and the brittle foundations of Western culture; but above all it is a book about the mysteries and alchemies of friendship – truthful, moving and brilliant.”

If you are not a guest of the Circus but you are interested in the event, follow this link to find out how to register. We have a very limited number of tickets available to Circus guests, for which you can register at the reception. The event begins at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost €10 on the night from any of the venues – Magnet, Comet, Lido, Bi Nuu, Festsaal Kreuzberg, Soju Bar – and there is quite the line-up, guaranteeing at least somebody playing something you like. From the Facebook page of the event, here’s what is confirmed so far. It should be a great night.

DJs:
Remmidemmi
Karrera Klub
Jan Blomqvist (Stil vor Talent)
Ottfried Jackson (Jan Köppen)
Torsun + Endi (Audiolith / Egotronic)
Wild Bunch Berlin (Bambule Spezial)
Young / and / Lost
King Kong Kicks
DJ Eric Jr.
The Goodfellas
DJ Vossi
Monkey vs. Robot
Fleshdance DJs
Finckobot
Emil doesn`t drive
Mo Probs
Salto Mortale
Delta Dawn (live)