Art Everywhere

Encircled by the Iron Curtain, West Berlin was not for everyone during the Cold War.   Instead, it became a magnet for non-conformists in search of an alternative lifestyle. As a result, subcultures, squats and street art became an integral part of Berlin's culture.

When the Wall came down, many East Berliners moved West.  But many West Berliners also moved East.  Moving East allowed them to take advantage of the abandoned apartment buildings and complexes and freedom from strict oversight or regulation as government dealt with the bigger issues of reunification.

Although many of the Squatter residences that developed in the 90s have been pushed out in the last 10 years, a few have been grandfathered and remain operational today.  Interestingly, these residences have actually become more businesslike in their operations often offering theatre performances, bars and other services to the public in order to raise the necessary funds to keep up the buildings.

Street art abounds in the city and can be seen almost everywhere.  The art is often quite experimental, using different techniques and different tools such as paint, paper, tiles, stickers and the like.  Perhaps our favourite painting concept was when artists de-pressurized old fire hydrants, filled them with paint, and then repressurized them and sprayed with wild abandon.

Even big businesses have gotten in on the street art phenomenon, with global companies like Nike commissioning artists to create painted advertisements across the city.

There is naturally some tension between the artists and the business people.   Many of the artist quarters have been gentrified over the years, making them too expensive for the artists to continue renting in these areas.  As a result, many of the artists who made these areas appealing have been pushed further and further from the core of the city. In protest, many of the artists have retaliated by painting over some of their pieces that made areas so attractive and cool in the first place.

In an attempt to keep the culture alive, Berlin is now promoting itself as the Techno Capital of the world. This has definitely brought people to the city but many worry that it is bringing the wrong crowd, attracting Europeans who just want to party and get wasted.


Although Berlin, like most cities, struggles to find the balance between tradition and development, we hope that they find a way to maintain this gritty artist culture. It certainly has made the city what it is today and adds a depth and realness to the city that is hard to duplicate.