One of the most beautiful pieces of Berlin actually is a piece of another city (Al-Hillah, Iraq). Normally Berliners are laid back and like to hang around, drink beer and chat till sunrise. Sometimes they do get excited though, and then they start taking old war-battered stones and piecing them together to (re)form walls. The results are great as can be seen all over Berlin, but the Ishtar gate in the Pergamon museum is where they’ve really outdone themselves.

Cinema with original fifties interior, close to Hermann Platz. Like all cinemas from the York Cinema Group in Berlin, it features a diverse program of independent movies (mostly original versions with German subtitles).

There's nothing more revigorating during the dark winter days than spending a couple of hours in a sauna. Germans have mastered the art of sauna and you can find amazing pieces of architecture in the public swimming pools (Stadtbad). I find Stadtbad Neukölln very peculiar in its neoclassic architecture and it's definitely a wallet-friendly option to enjoy some sauna time there. Be prepared to be naked in front of man and woman!

A very close friend of mine owns this bar. It looks tiny from the outside, but it has two rooms you have to pass until you get to last one which is a discofloor. I play music there from time to time and I am always surrounded by nice people und friends.

Blake & Vargas is side project of our Studio - a showroom for contemporary art with a diverse program of exhibitions & performance, that reflects the complexity of Berlin’s art scene. The next exhibition season starts again in January 2020. Also check out the website for our latest editions.