OUGD502 - Berlin Visit - The Culture

This year, some of level 5 went to Berlin for a 3 day visit. I enjoyed many parts of this trip and connected with the city. This trip also made me connect with many interests of mine. The first night involved roaming around late at night trying to find somewhere to drink. Many of the bars in Berlin were more than comfortable to relax in. They were classy and well up kept, and we didn't need to even step outside of where we were staying as the hostel bar was also enjoyable to socialise in (and they served 1 litre steins but lets not talk about that....).

On the second day we visited the Hamburger Bahnhof, a gallery positioned in an old station. The building itself was amazing. The architecture had been refurbished with clean and minimal style. It was perfect for the use of a gallery and I enjoyed being in the space. Whilst at the Bahnhof I realised I was drawn to the sculptures. There were a few that really stood out to me and I was keen to find out more about the artists. I have never been that intrigued by sculptures but I was drawn to these examples and would be interested in involving their style in my own work. There was also a good bookstore in the gallery with many books of a variety of styles. As someone who is interested in editorial design it benefitted me to see the variety of ways to print on the cover and filled me with ideas that I can take forward into my own practice.

As a bit of a history nerd, the sights in Berlin amazed me. The Brandenburg Gate was amazing and I felt connected with the Holocaust Memorial. It is a beautiful way to remember  those who were affected by the Holocaust. I also saw Checkpoint Charlie, something I've always wanted to see, as well as the Berlin Wall. I walked along where it split the city in two and was interesting to imagine how it would have been whilst it was still standing. I also went to the top of the Reichstag which gave a fantastic view of Berlin and it's glass dome demonstrated amazing architecture. This visit fuelled my interest in history and I found it fascinating to see parts of history that have fascinated me the most. My fascination in history is something that fuels my own practice as I am always keen in learning and developing my own skills in the traditional methods of graphic design.