I love watching films from the 80’s and seeing the brick-size of the mobile phones. With his clever paper designs Brighton based designer, Kyle Bean has depicted the increasing miniaturisation of the mobile phone in the style of a Russian Doll set (pictured above).  And on another tangent, it kind of reminds me a little bit too of the early sculpture work of Ricky Swallow like The Architecture of Video Games 1998 (pictured below). Ricky has a great blog too!

With gentrification swapping back with full force into the Western districts of Kreuzberg and Neukölln that had been pretty much left to their own devices for the past 20 years, and Kreuzbergers being a historically belligerent lot, our neighbours complain about rising rents, the many apartments turned into holiday flats, drones of European youth roaming the streets in search of the next Berlin party. While there maybe some valid questions or issues, surely this can not be the right answer.

So just to say, we think it’s great. The more the better. Not only do bring tourists a not inconsiderable amount of money into our poor but sexy town, but more importantly, they bring the cosmopolitan and international spirit that Berliners have always envied the larger metropolises of London, New York or Tokyo. The visitors we see, we see them go to our local stores, bars, clubs because those are the places we go. Was that not meant to be a good thing?

Germans love to travel – we’re particularly set on finding hidden, local spots, and we adore it when we feel welcome. So shouldn’t we be welcoming ourselves? Germans love to work or study abroad – so what could we possibly have against foreigners wanting to study or work in Germany?

To me, just that fact that Berlin should have this attraction to foreign youth to want to come and live here, to learn the language, is kind of amazing. A thing one couldn’t have imagined 20 years ago, when Germany was probably somewhere among the bottom five on the international hipness scale.

So anyway, us being Berlin as well, we say don’t you worry, none of it is true.

Two decades ago, the rapper Chuck D (Public Enemy), described rap music as the “the black CNN”. Rappers in London found their own way to describe the political and social background that led to the English riots in the past week. Here’s an excellent and in-depth article about the subject by writer Dan Hancox in yesterday’s Guardian. Another comment about the riots worth reading is eccentric comedian Russell Brand’s from this Thursday. His approach is not so much theoretical but more on the outspoken side.

Continuing on the theme of peculiar dancing, have a look at Dean Chalkey’s short film on the phenomenon of Northern Soul, as commissioned by the rather great 125 Magazine. And if you’re based in London, you still have a few days left to catch the accompanying photography exhibition at Youth Club Gallery, which should be well worth your time.

http://awkwardfamilypetphotos.com

The rain persists in staying lately, tourists are not as many as before, and the people seem generally lost and tired. EU winds of calm and peacefulness  are long gone and the weather, sea and good beer don’t seem good enough anymore to guarantee the typical positive mood and warmth of its people.

Let’s wait and see what the future brings, not only to this country but to this brotherhood that Europe tried for so long and with so much effort, to be.

image from “Portugal Imaginado / An Imagined Portugal”, edited by Joana&Mariana, published in the context of Experimenta Design 2009, Timeless Exhibition.

We’ve mentioned David Lynch’s brilliant Interview Project before, but it’s time to revisit, since Lnych’s son Austin and director Jason S. are currently on the road in nowhere else but Germany. Every Monday sees a new episode of random encounters with German strangers, giving some entertaining and at times perplexing insights into the German psyche. Strangely odd, strangely familiar, like everything with Lynch. And in the meantime, the great man himself seems to be busy mostly with his latest adventure, David Lynch Music Company. What a guy.

Nice easter themed contribution on the Unhappy Hipsters blog. Happy Easter.