Berlin visit

I’m honored to have received a grant from the Great Meadows Artist Professional Development Program. With this support, I was able to spend a week in Berlin, Germany—immersing myself in the city’s atmosphere, culture, and vibrant art scene…

Day 1 – Arrival and Art in Mitte

Arrived in Berlin early in the morning after a long-ass flight. I couldn’t check into the hotel yet, but I was able to drop off my bags and start exploring right away. With a last minute hotel change I ended up staying at a hotel on Museum Island—which ended up being a perfect location for my trip, right next to the subway and within walking distance of many key spots.

I kicked off the day with a cappuccino, then crossed the bridge and wandered through the Mitte neighborhood across the river. It was still early, so the streets were pretty quiet (a peaceful vibe that actually carried through most of the week). After grabbing lunch, galleries and shops slowly started to open up.

One of the first stops was Passaje Art Independiente—an outdoor public art corridor covered in layers of graffiti and street art. It was the kind of place you could spend hours just staring at the walls. I also climbed up three flights of graffiti-covered stairs to a tucked-away spot called the Neurotian Shop & Gallery, which showcased small works and objects by local artists. Respectfully, no photos were allowed in the stair case area—a shame, because the place was visually wild in the best way.

Later, I finally checked into the hotel, grabbed a shower, and regrouped just in time to head to Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart for the opening reception of the 13th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art. It was my first time using public transportation in Berlin, and I was surprised by how clean and straightforward everything was.

The museum itself was huge, with a maze of hallways. The work leaned heavily conceptual—some of it thought-provoking, some a little eye-rolly—but overall, it was bold, inspiring, and worth the trip. The night was supposed to end with an outdoor dance party at the museum, but jetlag hit hard, and so did hunger. I opted for dinner instead and then made my way back to the hotel for some much-needed rest.

Day 2 – Gropius Bau, Neue Nationalgalerie, Kreuzberg Gems

Started what would become my daily ritual: grabbing coffee and a light bite from the café across the street from the hotel. From there, I headed to an art market near the Zeughaus. Sadly, it was a bit of a letdown—felt like the kind of local art markets I’ve seen back in the States. Not much to report.

I took public transport over to Gropius Bau Museum to see Vaginal Davis: Fabelhaftes Produkt. I wasn’t familiar with her work beforehand, but the exhibition was a standout. Her installations were minimal but deeply personal, with an authenticity that hit hard. The exhibit offered a voyeuristic glimpse into her world—raw, intimate, and moving.

Afterward, I walked over to the Neue Nationalgalerie, hoping to stop at Natogallery along the way, but it was temporarily closed. Fortunately, the Neue Nationalgalerie made up for it. I caught Gerhard Richter: 100 Works for Berlin, which was beautifully curated. Their permanent collection was also solid—I discovered new names like Victor Brauner, Maria Lassnig, and Wilhelm Lachnit, alongside familiar giants like Picasso, Warhol, and Bacon (to name a few.) Their work always hits differently in person.

I wandered through the Tiergarten area and popped into some local galleries like the Galerie Tanja Wagner and Ronewa Art Projects . One that stood out was NOME Gallery, where I discovered Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley—a local artist whose work was punk, bold, and unapologetically original.

Later, I grabbed a bite and made my way to the Schwules Museum, Berlin’s LGBTQ+ museum. This neighborhood felt a little grittier—in the best way. Like everywhere in Berlin, street art was everywhere. I visited some great spots like Galerie Max Hetzler, Pace Gallery (saw some drawings by Basquiat, Dubuffet, and Tom of Finland), stumbled into a smaller gallery, MINIMALISTIX (where I chatted with the artist/owner about his street art collection and mural process), and finally Urban Nation. I then continued to stroll the street and ended up down the noted gay street, Motzstraße and checked out a few spots there.

After an afternoon coffee to recharge from so much walking, I headed east to Wrangelkiez for some incredible pizza. Maybe it was the Saturday night buzz, but the quiet Berlin I’d come to know turned a bit louder and rowdier and at some points sketchy. I crossed the Oberbaum Bridge, saw parts of the East Side Gallery, and explored Urban Spree briefly—as it got dark I decided to head back to the hotel. I called it a night, planning to explore this area more thoroughly later in the week.

Day 3 – BOROS Bunker, Biennale Overflow, and Empty Walls

Woke up refreshed for a 10 AM private tour of the BOROS Collection—an art museum inside a World War II-era bunker. The building was just as fascinating as the art inside. The tour felt a little rushed, however. SO much art to see and learn about, but we unfortunately skipped over rooms with works by artists like Louis Fratino, who I would’ve liked to spend more time with. Like other places in Berlin, the collection leaned more conceptual—some of it I was able to appreciate more with context, but most of it was eye-roll inducing. Honestly, the architecture and buildings history was the real highlight (bunker, jail, fruit storage, S&M Night Club, and then eventually becoming what it is today which is ultimately a glorified “basement” of a private collector’s home).

After BOROS, I visited KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Sophiensaele, and a former courthouse on Lehrter Straße to finish up the Berlin Biennale circuit. Unfortunately, I wasn’t blown away by much of anything in these exhibitions. The theme of the Biennale was about Fugitivity, which was an interesting topic, but the art was very conceptual and at times seemed lazily displayed. Again, the venues themselves outshined much of the “art”. The sheer amount of empty wall space everywhere in these museums still baffles me. I get the need for breathing room, but… come on. So much unused space. So much potential.

Wrapped up the day by exploring a little south of Mitte over to Viktoriapark area , hanging out for a bit then eventually walking over to the impressive Berlinische Galerie—which had a nice collection of permanent works by Kirchner, Maria von Heider-Schweinitz, and Baselitz (again to name a few). Finally ended the day grabbing dinner near the hotel and taking in more of the sites along the way before eventually calling it a day.

Day 4 – The Monday Slowdown

Note to future self (and others): most museums and galleries are closed on Mondays—a major misstep in my planning. In the future I would probably use Mondays as a travel day instead. That said, after breakfast at Cafe im Kunsthaus Dahlem I ventured far west to visit the Brücke Museum. On the way there on the bus I massed what seemed like miles of miles of outdoor shopping centers with mostly high end clothing brand stores lined up with the most crowded area of Berlin I’ve seen yet. People everywhere reminded me more of NYC. Once I got to the Brucke Museum we had to walk through a really quiet and beautiful neighborhood tucked away in the woods. After going through the museum I knew it was going to be small, but it ended up being really small. Still, it was meaningful to see work from some of my favorite German Expressionist artists, even if I left wanting more.

Afterwords ended up back on the bus back to the East. I ended up spending the rest of the day outdoors exploring the street of Kreuzberg—taking as many photos of street at as i could while also enjoying the beautiful buildings and rivers. I eventually headed back to MItte for dinner and gathered more photos of street art before calling it an early night to got some much needed sleep.

Day 5 – Day Trip to Leipzig

With galleries and most places also closed on Tuesday, I took a spontaneous train trip to Leipzig. I didn’t plan much ahead of time, but explored a few local galleries like Galerie Schwind and stopped at the Museum of Fine Arts. The collection was underwhelming overall (alot of traditional paintings), though there were a few interesting contemporary installations that were a nice surprise to see.

Made the mistake of falling into a tourist trap and eating some truly awful “German” food. Originally was planning on visiting the Western district of Plagwitz. I was exhausted, it was hot, and I was exhausted from trying to navigate yet another cities public transportation system. I ended up exploring the downtown area (not much to see other than some cool architecture) and caught an early train back. On the way out though, I did end up passing by a hilariously fake Banksy pop-up gallery—complete with phony artwork and knockoff merch. I went in the store front area, but didn't pay to see the “exhibit”. I had a laugh peeking through the phony merchandise.

Once i got back to Berlin I was back in Mitte area, I visited a few galleries that were opened, like Galerie Deschler. There I saw a (clearly Basquiat influenced) exhibition by local artist Noah Becker called FACE YOUR FEAR. While it was impressive it lacked some originality. Later on, it I ended up at the Mojavari Gallery, where I had great conversation with the artist/owner who had an impressive portfolio and a unique story about the space itself. His style of work was also all over the place (in a good way).

Day 6 – Gallery Marathon & Skatepark Drama

After sleeping in I decided to head out east of Mitte to visit some more local galleries like Capitain Petzel, Galeria Plan B, and Galeria Azur, eventually landing in Friedrichshain—a hip, youthful area. I grabbed a beer at a local park, ate some food, and explored Urban Spree again (this time in daylight). SO MUCH EYE CANDY. Had a cool shop where I purchased a sick ass print by a local artist. The skatepark there was also covered in great art, but I got yelled at by a skater who thought I was filming him. I wasn’t—I was photographing graffiti. Chill, dude.

Eventually ended up back by the river and explored more of the East Side Gallery murals, then wandered into the creative wonderland of Holzmarkt—a quirky, adult playground filled with odd nooks, bars, and visual treats. Loved the vibe, but my feet were destroyed. Massive blister. So. Much. Walking. Eventually hobbled to dinner and back to the hotel.

Day 7 – Armstrong, Tiergarten, and Full Circle

My trip closing to an end I spent the morning wandering around Tiergarten area, taking in monuments (like the Holocaust Memorial and Victory Column), beautiful public parks, public art, and a few galleries. Ended up back in Mitte once again for more gallery hopping, food, and yes more gallery hopping. I’ve noticed some gallery owners more welcoming than others. A few were willing to give me a brief tour of the work being displayed and talked in depth about the artist’s process while other gallery owners barely gave me a nod (typical).

One major highlight on this day was visiting the KÖNIG Galerie, where I unexpectedly caught an exhibition by one of my favorite contemporary artists—Erin Armstrong. Her show, Trial by Fire, blew me away. I had no idea she was exhibiting in Berlin until I saw a post on social media so I had to stop by to see. It was such a lucky and joyful surprise—absolutely one of the best exhibitions of the trip.

Day 8 – Last Looks in Kreuzberg

For my final day, I returned to Kreuzberg to soak in some public murals, more galleries, including Galerie Barbara Thumm, Galerie Tammen, GALERIE IRRGANG, and KÖNIG’s other location. I wrapped the day with a few more galleries near by the hotel and finally ended it walking around Mitte where I grabbed dinner finally ending the day watching the sun go down over the river.

At this point, I was totally wiped out and beyond exhausted. The lack of sleep, relentless heat (although most of the days were mild and extremely favorable), and brutal blisters on my feet had officially caught up with me.

Day 9 – Reflections & Return

I will miss Berlin deeply and remain incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have experienced the city through the support of the Great Meadows Artist Professional Development Program. Reflecting on my time there, I’m left with a mix of emotions—gratitude, curiosity, inspiration, and, to be honest, some lingering questions.

Culturally, Berlin has so much to offer—more than I expected, and far more than what I’m used to back home in the States. There’s a level of respect for art, history, and public space that I wish could be replicated in my own city. The way Berlin balances preservation and progress, structure and spontaneity, is something special. The city feels alive but also deeply rooted in its complex past.

As for the art scene—it was vibrant, expansive, and at times overwhelming. Berlin’s reputation as an international art capital is well-earned. That said, I left with some complicated feelings about what I saw. I was hoping to encounter more emotionally raw or expressive work, something that hit me in the gut. Instead, much of what I came across leaned conceptual, academic, or intentionally aloof. Maybe I didn’t find the right galleries. Maybe it was just the timing. Or maybe it’s a reflection of where the contemporary art world is at large—smart, polished, but often disconnected from instinct or emotion.

I also realized how spread out the city is. Galleries, museums, and project spaces are scattered across vast neighborhoods—often with unpredictable hours or limited days of operation. Even with a full week and a packed schedule, there were so many places I wasn’t able to get to. Planning an itinerary was challenging, and even when I did, I often had to improvise.

The most inspiring part of the trip may have been the street art. It felt raw, spontaneous, unfiltered—exactly the kind of creative energy I seek in my own work. Everywhere I turned, there was something to discover: an alley wall transformed into a visual diary, a stickered door, a painted stairwell. Berlin wears its creativity out in the open, and it never apologizes for it. The city is clean and efficient, yes—but it still honors the decay and imperfections that give it soul. That kind of tension—between polish and grit—might be what I admired most.

And while I got by just fine, I do wish I spoke German. Knowing the language might have helped me engage more deeply, especially in conversations at galleries or museums. There were moments where I definitely felt like an outsider looking in, despite the city's welcoming nature.

I know I’ll be back one day—though maybe not for quite as long. There are so many other cities across Europe I want to explore, each with their own unique pulse. But Berlin left a mark. It’s a city that doesn’t just show you art—it feels like art. Unfinished. Layered. Alive.

After a long day of multiple flights, I finally made it back to Louisville. I was exhausted, running on very little sleep, and still buzzing with sensory overload. Now, writing this over a week later, I’m still processing it all. Inspiration doesn’t always hit instantly. Sometimes, an experience needs time to settle in—seep into your skin and your subconscious—until something sparks.

Berlin may be over for now, but its imprint is just beginning to surface.