Ephra on the road: the diversity of the Berlin art world

 "Before we went to the museum, I also thought art was shit. But with art you can impress people. Art can make you powerful." - student at the Fritz-Karsen-Schule

Artists in Berlin work in very different places: sometimes it's a normal flat, sometimes a small garage, but it can also be a huge factory building. By visiting these studios, you get to know Berlin from an entirely new perspective.

That's why we set out with 15 pupils from three different classes at the Fritz-Karsen-Schule to immerse ourselves in the city's art world during the school-wide project week on the theme of Berlin. We travelled long distances by public transport and explored the city.

With the support of the Bürgerstiftung Berlin and the Arne Friedrich Stiftung, the pupils of the Fritz-Karsen-Schule were able to spend a whole week working artistically and exploring new horizons. During this week, the children met three artists in their studios. Here, the children got to know the places where art is created, were allowed to ask their own questions and experience these places for themselves.

The children took on important tasks on their journey. Navigators were chosen to show the group the way, and with tablets from the Bürgerstiftung Berlin, the children were able to take photos and videos to capture the memorable moments.

To start off the project, we visited the Berlinische Galerie together. In the exhibition "Gezeichnete Stadt" (Drawn City), the pupils explored the building independently and we later came together and discussed the works they had selected. The work "Na, wer bist du denn?" (Well, who are you?) by the artist Heike Kati Barath was of particular interest. The children added their own portrait drawings to the series of 32 very individual heads of Berlin "types", which caused much amusement.

Over the next few days, we visited Ali Kaaf and Sabine Beyerle in their studios. There the children asked many questions and the artists took a lot of time to answer them: Which material do you prefer to use? Which pictures do you choose for an exhibition? How do they end up in the exhibition? What happens to the artworks afterwards? How much does a work of art cost?

 Afterwards, there was time to let off steam and work creatively. Many drawings were made during the train journeys as well as during the creative time, inspired by the works of the artists visited. Read more about the trip to Ali Kaaf's studio in Minh An Szabó de Buc's post on our blog.

 In Rebecca Raue's studio, we brainstormed ideas for the children's own exhibition at school. As an artistic interpretation of the project week, each child painted his/her "Berlin guy" on a wooden board. A statement about art was written in a speech bubble. This statement was created from the insights they gathered during the week.

Statements by the students:

Art can be very beautiful.

Art doesn't have to be something that really exists.

Art should not be underestimated.

You can impress someone with art.

Artists are very, very, very different.

You don't need bright colours. You can also paint in black and white.

Art has to do with feelings.

You can think with art.

Timeframe: October 2020
Project management: Michaela Englert Realisation: Michaela Englert, Shirin Fleur Krieg
Artists: Ali Kaaf, Sabine Beyerle, Rebecca Raue Educational institution: Fritz-Karsen-Schule
Partners: Bürgerstiftung Berlin, Arne Friedrich Foundation