Between vision and trend mania

I'm back from the German capital with a lot of different impressions, new ideas and inspiration, ready to be creative myself again. Since the Fall of the Wall, Berlin is going through a permanent development in all different kinds of fields. Long it's not a secret anymore, that Berlin is a mecca for contemporary artists in numerous different fields. Overloaded by students, DJs, designers, painters, any kind of artist collectives, who are all trying, beside their art, to create their work spaces, exhibition rooms and other platforms to meet, exchange and present themselves in any possible infrastructure that the city offers them from old times. The concepts and styles thereby are always puristic, minimalistic, cold and industrial, white but at the same time also dirty and scrawled with the typical graffiti. The trend "the more f*cked up, the better" seems really to rule - volitional or unintentional remains to be seen. Former warehouses serve as the hippest nightclubs now and buildings threatened by demolition are occupied, such as the Kunsthaus Tacheles (Art House Tacheles). The building situated in Oranienstraße, Berlin Mitte, was constructed in 1907/1908 and was used amongst others by the National Socialist German Worker's Party (NSDAP), as well as by the Free German Trade Union Federation (FDGB), till in 1990 then, two months before its detonation, the building was occupied by a group of artists called Künstlerinitiative Tacheles. Today the house hosts painters, installation artists, jewellery artisans and designers over several floors. However, the building itself, a cold shell of building totally full with graffiti and urine odour, shows that its high periods are over. The Tacheles is threatened by demolition again and with it numerous artists would lose their studios and showrooms. Different campaigns like petitions (we gave our signature as well) are undertaken - the Tacheles is fighting for survival. It's really a pity and hurts to see how talented artists are struggling. Maybe the Tacheles is the result of simply artist-overload (if this exists) in a city where the art scene develops and moves incredibly fast. Districts that were hip five years ago, are now not anymore - the scene is permanently moving, as well as the favourable styles. But serious art is a long-winded process and developement, which can't really agree with such fast changes. Berlin doesn't have this old tradition as e.g. London or Paris; Berlin is still on its way to become a representative place and definitely has a huge potential considering how much creativity is gathered in this city. However it seems that a real, convincing concept behind all is still missing in some way, and I think this concerns also the Tacheles.  For a person from outside it is not clear what the whole Kunsthaus Tacheles represents and aims for. It is not enough to just host different artists. There must be one concept behind the whole project to be able to maintain it and keep it appealing.

For some of you these might be hard words or seem even unfair and unjustified. I noticed that this is definitely a topic that opens extensive discussions.