The Next Day #35: Berlin Weekend Guide
From 01 until 04.02: CTM/transmediale, Perlon Party, Dekmantel, Karim Aïnouz, Written on Skin, Geschwister, TEDxBerlin
Hi!
Busy weekend in Berlin! CTM Festival is wrapping up with an unmissable lineup. Choosing highlights is tough; concerts range from J-pop to free jazz and experimental tunes. Families, catch Heavysaurus gig!
We suggest starting the weekend at Club Coucou on Thursday, dancing all night long at Get Perlonized with DJ Zip & Margaret Dygas on Friday, and having a blast at Dekmantel party with Stingray 313, Casper Tielrooij, and Jessy G.
Don't miss Karim Aïnouz's BLAST! exhibition and Rare Prints at Bastian Gallery. "Museum Sonntag" is always a must.
For those seeking theater experiences, our top recommendations include the opera 'Written on Skin' at the Deutsche Oper and 'Geschwister' at Gorki Theater, directed by Ersan Mondtag—an artist chosen to represent Germany at the Venice Biennale.
Seize the beginning of the year to boost your brain at TEDxBerlin or galvanize your body with the Butoh Dance Workshop.
Two film festivals, but our eyes are set on "All of Us Strangers" for our crush Paul Mescal.
Stay updated on Berlin's top news in English with 20 Percent Berlin, offering a Tuesday preview of three-weekend events for your planning.
Lalai & Mateus
Jaguar No Me
Thursday, 01.02, 7pm. Schockoladen, Ackerstrasse 169, Mitte. Ticket: 10,90€.
🎧 Jaguar No Me blends J-Pop, psychedelia, and experimental elements, delivering dynamic performances with a Butoh influence. Get ready for a fun time! If you prefer dream pop, the supporting band 🎧 The Gondors offers a dreamy, atmospheric vibe.
Treen / Sofia Borges
Friday, 02.02, 8 pm. Sowieso, Weisestrasse 24, 12049, Neukölln.
For those seeking a laid-back Friday evening, we recommend the performances by the Danish trio 🎧 Treen and Portuguese percussionist 🎧 Sofia Borges at this intimate jazz venue devoted to experimental and improvised jazz.
Neuf Voix presents 'Kinetische Räume'
Saturday, 03.02, 6 - 7:30 pm. KINDL, Am Sudhaus 3 12053. Ticket: 14€.
Neuf Voix debuts 'Stanze Cinetiche': avant-garde compositions reimagined through magnetic tapes, digital spatialization, and a unique quadriphonic system. Immersive musical experience transcending traditional concerts.
Our favorite concerts this weekend are happening at CTM. You can see more details and other CTM events in our special guide:
Kali Malone
01-02.02, 8 - 10 pm. Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, Breitscheidplatz. Ticket: 20/28€.
Composer Kali Malone explores tuning systems in minimalist structures, highlighting the emotive richness and harmonic depth in pipe organ and electroacoustic formats.
Through the Thinking Iceberg
Saturday, 03.02, 8 - 9:30 pm. Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. Ticket: 22/26€.
Using piano, guitar, field recordings, and voices, Félicia Atkinson creates abstract minimal grunge with intricate details.
Closing Concert: Petra Hermanova - In Death’s Eyes
Sunday, 04.02, 8 - 10 pm. Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. Ticket: 22/26€
Petra Hermanova's event presents her new release, "In Death's Eyes," blending folk and sacred musical elements on autoharp and voice.
More concerts:
CEL (Felix Kubin & Hubert Zemler): CEL, a duo by Kubin and Zemler, blends Motorik rhythms with sequencer-driven brain loops, exploring the intersection of German underground sounds. Thu, 01.02, 8-11:30 pm. arkaoda, Karl-Marx Platz 16 12043. Ticket: 16,95€. 🎧 Gegenwelt
Heavysaurus: To headbang with the kids. Fri, 02.02, 5:30 pm. Huxleys Neue Welt, Hasenheide 107, 10967. Ticket: 32.95€. 🎧 Rarrr
Luca Laurence: Music for broken hearts. Sat, 03.02, 8 pm. Hole44, Hermannstrasse 146, 12051, Neukölln. Ticket: 26,10€. 🎧 Skyboy
Club Coucou Vol. 2
Thursday, 01.02, 5:30 - 10 pm. Genezarethkirch - Herfurrplatz 14, Neukölln. Ticket: 15€.
We're not sure if this session is the right place for this event, where cozy attentive listening meets the shared movement of the dance floor. You can savor delicious tacos and mezcalitas in this beautiful church. 🎧 Athenaïs 🎧 Jascha Hagen
Get Perlonized
Friday, 02.02, 11:59 pm - 5 pm. Hoppetosse, Eichenstrasse 4, Treptow.
The Perlon label is hosting a party with a sleek lineup featuring Ivan Iacobucci & Stella Fiore, 🎧 Margaret Dygas, 🎧 Zip, and Sammy Dee. Perfect dancefloor for those who love minimal techno.
Tresor meets Dekmantel
Saturday, 03.02, 11-12 pm. Tresor, Köpenickerstrasse 70, 10179. Ticket: 28,10€.
A cool glimpse of the Dutch festival Dekmantel at Tresor with a smooth lineup featuring 🎧 Stingray 313, Casper Tielrooij, 🎧 Jesse G, Stella Zekri, and others. The party takes place across the three floors: Tresor, Globus, and OHM, with a recovery party on Sunday starting at noon.
More parties:
🎧 Carl Craig at Watergate on Friday, 02.02, 11 pm. Ticket: 23,75€.
🪩 Trip the Light presents Perko: A four-hour set from leftfield UK techno prodigy 🎧 Perko is a must-see. Friday, 02.02, 11 pm - 7 am. Zur Klappe, Yorckstrasse 0, 10965.
Written on Skin
Thursday, 01.02, 7:30 pm. In English with German and English surtitles. Deutsche Oper Berlin Bismarckstrasse 35, 10627 Berlin-Charlottenburg. Tickets: 16€ - 70€.
George Benjamin's Opera Written on Skin, adapted by Martin Crimp, is inspired by a well-known tale from the High Middle Ages in France, titled "Le cœur mangé." Dating back to the 12th century, the story is based on a text by troubadour Guillem de Cabestanh, portraying a woman who consumes her lover's heart. Katie Mitchell's acclaimed production is known for its visual impact and psychological precision.
Geschwister
Saturday 03.02 7:30 pm. Directed by Ersan Mondtag. In German with English surtitles. Maxim Gorki Theater, Am Festungsgraben 2, 10117 Berlin. Tickets: 12€ - 40€.
Ersan Mondtag's work examines a West German family's daily life on June 2nd, 1967, highlighting the enduring legacy of National Socialism. The play explores challenges faced by those opposing their parents and probes the lasting material and ideological ties of this far-right inheritance into the present day.
Karim Aïnouz: BLAST!
Opening: Thursday 01.02 6 pm. Until 10.03, Tue–Sun, 12pm –7 pm. daadgalerie, Oranienstraße 161, 10969 Berlin. Free entry.
A journey into the photographic and visual archive of the internationally renowned filmmaker and artist Karim Aïnouz. It takes a deep dive into Aïnouz’s color-saturated image archive, developed over decades of his engaged visual practice. Based on Aïnouz’s very personal visual cosmology, BLAST! heightens our awareness of the images surrounding us every day.
Vektor: Memories in Art and Sound by Christopher Bauder
From 01.02 until 07.04. Kraftwerk, Köpenicker Str. 70, Kreuzberg. Ticket: 10/20€
If you like the experience at Dark Matter Berlin, you can’t miss this huge light installation at Kraftwerk.
How to be Invisible by Karolina Jabłońska
Opening 02.02, 6-9 pm. Until 07.03. Esther Schipper, Potsdamer Str. 81e/Top floor / Obergeschoss, 10785. Free entry.
"How to be Invisible" unveils a suite of paintings by Jabłońska, exploring the intricate balance between visibility and invisibility, inspired by Kate Bush's song. Delving into the complex desire for invisibility, the exhibition navigates personal challenges and political events
Hushed Neon: Dana James
Opening: Sat, 03.02, 3-6 pm. Until 10.03. Bode, Reinbeckstrasse 29, 12459 Berlin. Free entry.
Dana James explores beauty's embrace and resistance, feminine duality, and human-made artifice in nature. Her luminous paintings, blending pastel palettes with recycled canvas, invite contradiction. The gallery is quite far, but worth the visit.
Rare Prints
Opening: 03.02, 11 am - 5 pm. Until 20.04. Bastian Gallery, Taylorstrasse 1, 14195.
"Rare Prints" features iconic works by artists Warhol, Lichtenstein, Twombly, Brits Hirst and Stibbon. The exhibition contrasts diverse print expressions, from Warhol's fear-inducing "Electric Chair" to Twombly's free-form ciphers. Damien Hirst's "The Stations of the Cross" combines religion and modern medicine, and Emma Stibbon's "Caldera Overlook" captures the beauty of the endangered Rainforest.
Make sure to catch:
Tania Bruguera - Where Your Ideas Become Civic Actions: Tania Bruguera's 100-hour performance involves a collective reading of Hannah Arendt's "The Origins of Totalitarianism." You can volunteer as a reader. Wed-Sun, 7-11.02, 7-11 pm with no interruption. Hamburger Bahnhof. Free entry.
Retakes & Revisions 2024
Until 17.02. Sinema Transtopia, Lindower Str. 20/22/Haus C, Wedding. Ticket: 7€.
The program showcases films, providing a multifaceted reflection on the past year's societal shifts. It celebrates one year of Sinema Transtopia in Wedding, a unique space for cinema enthusiasts.
KODEX: Documentary Film Festival
04-10.02, b-ware! Ladenkino, Rollberg Kino, Kino Central & Moviemento.
KODEX showcases 10 impactful documentaries exploring diverse issues, experimenting with storytelling to unveil unknown realities and challenge our perceptions of territory and boundaries. On our watchlist: "Knit’s Island," "Our Body," and "Coconut Head Generation."
All of Us Strangers (2023/UK) by Andrew Haigh
Release: 05.02 - 10 pm. Kino International, Mitte, Berlin.
Screenwriter Adam's routine shifts in a London tower after meeting neighbor Harry. Their bond leads Adam back home, unveiling parents who defy time. With Andrew Scott, Claire Foy, Jamie Bellour, and our crush Paul Mescal.
TEDxBerlin
Friday, 02.02, 11 am - 6:30 pm. Admiralspalast, Friedrichstrasse 101, Mitte. Ticket: 51,71/258,71€.
Who hasn't found inspiration in a TED talk? The beginning of the year is ideal for gaining new perspectives. The TEDxBerlin lineup features 15 diverse voices, including a Zen monk, neuroscientist, biologist, digital artist, and creative technologist, among others.
Butoh - Space Awareness Dance Workshop
Sat-Sun, 03-04.02, 11 am-5:30 pm. Dock 11, Kastanienallee 79, 10435 Berlin. Ticket: 150€
Looking for something different? Embark on a body-mind awareness journey with Butoh dancer Krzysztof Jerzak. This workshop is for all levels, offering authentic movement and presence exploration. Ideal for dancers, performers, actors, martial artists, yogis, and those interested in body-focused therapy.
🎹 MXM: piano and light concert: A live performance by the duo MXM, Mirella Brandi and Muep Etmo, pushes the boundaries of stage and music by presenting contemporary piano compositions accompanied by light. Wed, 06.02 8 pm. Acker Stadt Palast. Ticket: 10-25€.
🎹 Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark (OMD): A blend of Stockhausen and Abba with a big dose of synthesizers. Mon, 12.02, 8 pm. Tempodrom. Ticket: 61€. 🎧 Bauhaus Staircase
🎸 John Francis Flynn: Folk musician weaving poetic narratives with soulful melodies. Wed, 10.02, 8 pm. silent green. Ticket: 17,05€. 🎧 Look Over the Wall, See the Sky
🎸 The Heliocentrics: an ensemble known for their genre-blending approach, incorporating elements of jazz, funk, psychedelic rock, and world music. 26.02, 8:30 pm. Gretchen. Ticket: 28,25€. 🎧 Legna