June 17, 2014 - Munich

The last ten days have been much busier as I have finally found a bit of stride in my daily routine. Work for Kunstkreis Gräfelfing has remained a slow, but I am helping whenever I can. My main task for the past week has been to construct the price and insurance list for the work in the show. It's fairly straightforward computer-work, but it has been nice to familiarize myself with the exhibition that will be going up in the beginning of July. We're distributing flyers and posting banners around town, as well as mailing many hundreds out to people around Germany and the world, getting the word out for the event. The kunstverein has a good reputation for putting on ambitious and exciting shows, so I'm interested to see the turnout.

When I'm not working for the kunstverein I am splitting my time between the bustle of Munich and relaxing in Gräfelfing, thinking and making future plans, reading, sketching, visiting with my hosts, and cuddling with Manu's cats, Feta and Meep-Meep. I keep finding great places to eat with the help of Irmi, Bettina, as well the internet community. The world cup has been fun to watch, and I can't deny that my interest in the sport has increased because of my location. In the future I plan to go into Munich during a game in which Germany plays, maybe the one against the US. I've heard it gets a little crazy, and I can't wait to see it firsthand.

I found out quickly where the touristy spots in Munich are and luckily it's not really too close to where I want to spend my time. The city is fairly sprawling, but I've tried to spend as much time walking as possible, electing not to take the train because of what I might miss in between stops. The museums are just north of the city center, but are huddled together near a few universities, making them easily accessible on a schedule. I've hit most of the places that I'm most interested in, such as a conversation with Matthew Barney at the Haus der Kunst, Pinakothek der Moderne, Museum Brandhorst, Lenbachhaus, and a few scattered galleries through the city. With all the things and places I've been to in the last month I've been able to refine the efficiency of my eye, now able to quickly peruse a gallery of work and identify what I like and don't like, but more importantly why I feel that way. I've been taking as many pictures as possible of the work that interests me, at least in the places where they allow it.

Although the city doesn't seem nearly as old as some of the places I've visited on this trip, I can still find the history. The architecture is sometimes an odd mix of modern and classic styles often sitting right beside each other,  magnifying the contrast. New buildings like Museum Brandhorst are signs of a progressive side of the German art scene, whereas a historical site like Königsplatz still carry all the weight of a community that refuses to completely dispose of its past (and rightfully so). Few places blend modernity and history as seamlessly as the 1972 Olympic stadium and park. It seems to me that the German culture ascribes more to the proverb "those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it" than the American culture does. The psychologist in me regularly contemplates the effect this has on those who grow up here. My impression, at least of the general social psyche, is that they balance it very well with their ambitions for the future. I respect that a lot.

One of my missions while here has been to find a hackey sack in the colors of the German flag. For a country that is so soccer obsessed, this has proven astoundingly difficult. I did however meet a couple guys outside the Pinakothek der Moderne who were playing and decided to ask if I could join. They were totally new to the sport, playing with a brand new bag stuffed full of beads. I did my best to show them a little bit and we got to know each other. In the couple hours we spent playing in the sun I managed not only to show them a few things but also not get burnt to a crisp. Win-win. They showed me a great place to get dinner and then left to study. Marcus and Phillipp are nice and interesting physics students who I'm sure to see a few more times before I leave.

 

With just over a month left in Europe I am excited to look back on what I've already seen and done. It's hard not to looking forward too much to my return home to see Krista and the rest of my family, to the point where it gets difficult and emotional, but there is so much left to to here that I'm sure it will go by quickly. The one thing for sure is that I'm enjoying my time here and making the most of it. Before I know it I'll be back in the thick of school and stressed out about making a good show of my final year. With less than 12 months before my final graduation it's impossible to not be looking ahead, but I've gotten used to the regular flow of inspiration. The only difficulty now is filtering out the crap and concentrating on the few good, meaningful ideas. At least, I hope they are.

June 8, 2014 - Gräfelfing

 

I arrived in Munich a week ago. Irmi, a member of Kunstkreis Gräfelfing, met me at the  hauptbahnhof and from there we took the S-bahn to Gräfelfing, about 1 km west of Munich. The town is quaint, scenic, historic, and wealthy; the 5th wealthiest municipality in Germany. Only about 14,000 people live in the town, which is surrounded and spotted with green spaces. It has easy access into Munich via public transport and bike, which I hope to use regularly.

After a very short tour of the town, Irmi took me to meet Manu, my host during the month of June. He is a kind, open personality that I have shared many great conversations with about what seems to be the common topics for this trip: art (he is a photographer), military, history, politics, and food. His English is very good, and he helps me with the German language and all of my questions about it. I have my own room upstairs to sleep and relax in - it has been very nice to slow down since my busy traveling, being able to unpack and live a little more comfortably than I could when hopping around between hostels and trains. I've been getting much more sleep since I arrived - a welcome change of pace.

Manu and I have gone on a few bike rides and he's given me pretty much a grand tour of the small town I now call my temporary home and I have to say that I am very happy I'm not inside Munich proper. The weather has been great and very warm, combined with the proximity to the city makes it feel so easy to get the best of both worlds. Although I haven't made too many visits to see things in Munich yet, I am excited to have some time to do so. As Irmi said last night, this is the calm before the storm. July will be much busier once our exhibition "H2Oh!" opens on the 3rd.

Last Tuesday I attended my first meeting with Kunstkreis Gräfelfing and made all the requisite introductions. Everyone seems wonderfully inviting and excited to have me join them for this exhibition. I can tell that my skills will be best put to use during the installation of the show, as there are a few small projects that will require some hands-on building and creative solutions. The sooner the better, at least from my perspective, as I am eager to start working and accepting responsibilities. The spaces for the exhibition are located in the alte and neue rathouse and provide a lot of wall room for the artists. Filling it all seems daunting, but with the many artists participating in the show I am very confident it will be a well curated event. Watching it all come together will be very exciting, as the work I have already seen is quite impressive.

There isn't a much more settling experience you can have than going to a new market and buying a big bag of groceries for yourself. It is exciting to see the variety and differences between an American and German food store, especially knowing of their tighter laws on food ingredients and preservatives (I haven't seen high-fructose corn syrup in ANYthing here, and I even had to explain to Manu what it was). Coincidentally, Germany also has the lowest grocery prices in Europe. Irmi treated Manu and I to dinner last night at Wilder Hirsch, a traditional Bavarian restaurant and biergarten. I had a great time and really enjoyed my meal, gefüllte schweinelende (stuffed pork loin). I've had many opportunities in Europe to try new food and beer, and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down now that I've settled in Gräfelfing. It seems impossible to try a new brew every day, but that limitation is only imposed by myself and not by the selection available here. I believe I might make a thorough shopping trip to the nearby Getränkemarkt and pick up a case that might last a week or two. 

The amount of work being exhibited in the Munich area is impressive. I believe I could go see new shows almost every night of the week if I had the energy and money to do so. I've gone to two openings so far at exhibition spaces in the city, plus a Kirchner retrospective at the Pinakothek der Moderne, and am making a list of the many more I intend to attend.

June 1, 2014 - Venice

I left Cologne at 4 AM and had a long day of traveling ahead. Taking the train to Munich was empty and comfortable, so I got some much needed rest during most of the 4 hour trip. After a short layover there I transferred to a bus bound for Venice and my rest was no more. The train was packed and my leg room was short, sitting in a seat facing other passengers. I did my normal routine - read my book, listened to music, and tried whatever I could to make the time pass. It was a 6.5 hour trip through the Alps and although I didn't have that great a view, what I did see was stunning. I will have to revisit them sometime while I am staying in Gräfelfing.

Eventually arriving in Venice at 6 pm, I was just happy to be done with a 14 hour day in transit. The clouds had just started to roll in and the rain began. I arrived in the city (bought a slice of pizza for dinner) and immediately looked to take the bus out of it; to find my hostel on the mainland, Camping Rialto. I would stay in a two person tent with Omar, a traveler and graphic designer from Mexico. Only there for 3 nights, I mostly just wanted to relax and not try to push too much planning into the last leg of an already hectic trip. I fell asleep just as the thunder, and the party, began outside.

The campsite was very nice I realized, as I explored it the next day, made even better by the sunny weather and smell of fresh rain. My next day consisted of plopping down beside a power outlet to write and edit photos. This was exactly what the doctor ordered. I met plenty of people who came through the area I was seated to go to the bar and restaurant also located at the campsite, hence the party the night before. After walking to a small grocer to buy food for my stay, I came to realize that most everyone camping there was American or at least English speaking. It was nice to have the comfort of easy communication, and an obvious sign of the amount of tourism in Venice.

Later that night, after I was finally done on my computer, people started congregating near the bar again. I was able to talk more without feeling distracted. Everyone seemed really fun and it turned out most of us were traveling alone. As another storm came in the same time that evening we groaned as the internet faded away for the night. I then learned that it is a daily occurrence there. We shared stories of the places we've been and places we're going. Prague and obviously Venice seems a common theme among American tourists. Memories of the crowded Czech streets didn't have me too excited about walking around Venice, but nevertheless it had to be done.

I made plans to go to the city with two chill guys from the west coast, Dane and Eric. Venice was beautiful no doubt, and the streets weren't as packed as in Prague. Wine, pizza, and gelato is very cheap there which is, suffice to say, awesome. I had my fill often, especially with wine. The picturesque scenes were only limited by the tall buildings blocking the vistas, and our time, inevitably to be cut short by the 6 pm thunderstorm. The bridges provided the best vantage points to take in the city and wonderful architecture. We took a seat next to the canal, watching the gondolas go by while sipping our spritzes, and discussed the fantasy vs. reality of a 15 minute, 80 euro boat ride while the gondolier types away on his iPhone. If the riders went to Venice with this as a romantic goal, their disappointment was palpable.

 

My most memorable moment there came when we stumbled along a small group of merchants. They were selling mostly the normal tourist souvenirs, but a small stack of papers led me to rifle through. I found an amazing print, taken from a plate by the 16th century master, Albrecht Dürer. I snatched it up almost immediately after inspecting it's authenticity as much as possible. I'm in the process of more research now, and it looks promising. Although it is a contemporary printing and might not be worth much more than the 10 euros I paid, I am in love with it and so happy to add it to my collection.

By the time the evening came I felt like I had only seen 1/10 of the sights to be had, but weary as I was of being a tourist I was excited for the next day when I would take my final train to Munich. We returned to the campsite before the rain hit. That night I met some new people and relaxed with more wine, bread, salami, and cheese. I packed for the next day and went to sleep around midnight. It had been a wild and emotional 11 days of sightseeing and conversation, mixed with the adjustment of missing Krista, my wonderful fiancee who is supporting and encouraging me on this trip. Landing in Munich would bring the regularity we need to communicate often - a necessity to make it through these 2 months apart.

Boarding my train in Venice at 1:30 pm the next day, I breathed a sigh of relief. Munich lies just beyond the Alps.