Hurricanes aside, it’s an excellent week to be in Berlin. There’s a Valentine’s rave, gigs aplenty, a jaw-dropping photography exhibition and Black History Month highlights. Plus a new Indian fusion restaurant y’all *have* to try.
Monday 10.02
Xenia Hausner: This Will Have Been Another Happy Day | PalaisPopulaire
EXHIBITION | Austrian stage designer Xenia Hausner adorned the likes of London’s Royal Opera House and La Monnaie in Brussels before shifting her focus to painting. After a 28-year stage break, she has designed the set for Richard Strauss’s opera Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose) at Staatsoper Unter den Linden. The accompanying exhibition, which takes place nearby and opens today, showcases 10 colourful, large-format paintings in which women play the lead role.
PalaisPopulaire, Unter den Linden 5, 10117 Berlin | Wed-Mon, 11am-6pm (Thu til 9pm) | €9
‘This Will Have Been Another Happy Day’ runs from 10th February to 2nd March
Tuesday 11.02
Iris Gold | Musik & Frieden
HIPPIE-HOP | Danish singer Iris Gold grew up listening to the psychedelia of Jefferson Airplane and the Beastie Boys’ hip-hop — so it’s no wonder she coined her sound ‘hippie-hop’. Last year she released her long-awaited debut Planet Cool, on which she’d been working for two years. The songs are a celebration of diversity, both lyrically and musically: a vibrant, eclectic mix of R’n’B, psychedelic soul and pop.
Musik & Frieden, Falckensteinstraße 48, 10997 Berlin | 8pm | €18
Wednesday 12.02
Kreuz + Kümmel
INDIAN FUSION | We’re always excited and sceptical in equal measure when a new Indian restaurant pops up in Berlin: the city’s offerings tend to lag way behind the UK in both authenticity and quality. But Mitte’s newest culinary jewel strolls boldly into 5-star territory straight off the bat. Think Mexican quesedillas filled with sweet jackfruit-mango chutney or Bengali lamb dish keema matar; puffed lotus seeds with ghee and spices; tikka ravioli and owner Chaitanya Singh’s unique interpretation of British classic chicken tikka masala. And forget gin basil smash — here it’s all about the masala smash: gin aglow with cumin, coriander, masala spice and black salt.
Kreuz + Kümmel, Auguststraße 82, 10117 Berlin | Tue-Sat, 5pm-12am
Thursday 13.02
Black History Month | Various locations
EMPOWERMENT | As every year, Black History Month reminds us how much needs to be done to bring about true racial equality and acknowledge the myriad contributions of an historically oppressed people. Marked in Berlin since the 1990s, events again take place throughout the month, with talks, screenings, writing workshops, brunches and meditation sessions. Tonight at Frauenkreise Berlin, columnist Michaela Dudley recalls ‘the true heroes of Stonewall’ in a lecture, while on Saturday 19th, Siana Bangura (pictured) and Troy James Aidoo present their film 1500 and Counting exposing police brutality in the UK.
Frauenkreise Berlin, Choriner Str. 10, 10119 Berlin | 7pm tonight (+ 7pm Saturday 19th)
Black History Month events take place at various locations throughout February
Friday 14.02
Rave D’amore | AVA Club
TECHNO | Nothing says ‘I LOVE U’ like going to a banging rave together on Valentine’s day. And if you’re single, even better. Whether you’re a techno lover or a fan of milder melodies — this year’s day of romance unites them all at AVA. Carl Vildt, Contium, Jesko Rimmer and Hana Fideli play on the Wäxxel techno floor, while on the Regenschirm floor, guests can look forward to Bianka Banks (photo), Miss Roxy and Julian Erhardt. The perfect way to find that soulmate.
AVA Club, Warschauer Pl. 18, 10245 Berlin | 11pm
Saturday 15.02
Cyril Schirmbeck: Receding Worlds | Kühlhaus Berlin
PHOTOGRAPHY | As if we needed any further convincing that the world is on fire, Berlin-based photographer Cyril Schirmbeck presents the stark, beautiful reality via his new exhibition detailing the diminishing glaciers of Alaska. Fifteen images from his 2010 trip to the northernmost part of the USA form walk-in silhouettes on the 4th floor of the Kühlhaus. Some of them no longer exist today, thanks to rapid global warming. As part of his series, Schirmbeck will also present photos of rainforests and underwater worlds equally in peril.
Kühlhaus Berlin, Luckenwalder Str. 3, 10963 Berlin | Mon-Sun 1pm-7pm
‘Receding Worlds’ opens at 6.30pm on 14th February and runs until 22nd February
Sunday 16.02
Isobel Campbell | Privatclub
INDIE POP | The Scottish cellist, singer and composer rose to fame as a member of twee indie pop troupe Belle & Sebastian. After leaving the band she collaborated for several years with ex-Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age musician Mark Lanegan. With There Is No Other she presents her first solo record in 14 years, which once more contains true pop and folk pearls.
Privatclub, Skalitzer Str. 85-86, 10997 Berlin | 8pm
In need of more gastro tips? Here are 5 Berlin restaurant openings we’re excited about in 2020.
