NYFA Blog

My Big Discovery…that’s Old News to Berlin Artists

June 23, 2011 at 7:13 pm Michael Royce 1 comment

Rebecca and Jonathan in Front of MMX

On Sunday, I went to meet Jonathan Gröger and Rebecca Loyche, a 2010 NYFA Photography Fellow, who live and work in Berlin. Jonathan and Rebecca, along with partner Jason Burgess, just completed their one-year project MMX (MMX meaning 2010 in roman numerals), an open art venue and non-profit on Berlin’s commercial gallery street in Mitte.

Rebecca and Jonathan, who also moonlights as a boat captain and photographer, gave me a tour of MMX, which ran an encore exhibit in February and is now closed to the public. Among the many impressive features of MMX, I was perhaps most intrigued by its visitor incentives.

For example, MMX offered a daily membership, which meant one daily member-fee (like an entrance fee) that included unlimited attendance of lectures and viewings that day and the option to purchase alcohol in the gallery (which, without membership, would not be legal). MMX’s programming boasted an impressive 6-week gallery rotation and a lecture series, making a daily membership ideal.

Commissioned Graffiti at MMX

As I to visit up-and-coming spaces in Berlin, I continue to see the drive and inventiveness of these young German entrepreneurs. Rebecca and Jonathan brought me across the street to their new venture, Co-Verlag. Jonathan took me through the rubble of the old building complex. He showed me where walls were taken out (frequently by his own hand, since he is handy with a jackhammer), to create more space for artists to “breathe.”

One artist currently lives in Co-Verlag, while several others, including Rebecca, have studio space there. In addition to the German artists (one of whom is also Jonathan’s dentist slash multi-media computer artists), a group of Icelandic artists have creates a makeshift “settlement” in the garden.

Standing in front of a demolished wall with an old bathroom sink still affixed to where the second floor bathroom once was, Jonathan explains that ideally Co-Verlag will become a self-sufficient artists space. Artists can work with the history and context of the abandoned East Berlin space. Jonathan adds, “Of course, it would be nice to give [the artists] white walls” as well.

Jonathan in Front of a Wall Needing Rennovation (look for the second story sink)

My BIG Discovery…that’s old news to Berlin artists

Over the course of our brunch, I of course asked Rebecca and Jonathan my main query: WHY is Berlin so hospitable to artists? After speaking about cheap rent and available larger spaces, they mentioned something that I had not heard of before: Germany’s specific Artist’s Healthcare.

Künstlersozialkasse, or KSK, is a health insurance and retirement fund program for artists. KSK works as an artist’s employer, paying half of the fees incurred while the artist pays the other half. There are minimum qualifications to be applicable for KSK, and artists of all discipline can apply. Many suggest getting a native-German speaker to help fill out application forms; the intricacies of the language become tricky, and receiving KSK has become more difficult because of the rise in artist population in Berlin.

NYFA Blog friend Kate Hers, an American artist living in Berlin, outlines how to apply to the KSK in her blog Nomadic Wanderings by Estherkaprojekt, which is a terrific resource for all American artists thinking of moving to Berlin or currently living in Berlin.

The difficulty of obtaining KSK membership is only exacerbated by the visa process. Here is the Catch-22: in order to obtain a visa, one must had health insurance. In order to have German health insurance, one must have a visa. Organizations like Bundesverband der Veranstaltungswirtschaft e.V.  (BDV) can help with this process, but still most recommend getting a native-German speaker to assist you.

USArtsBerlin Potluck

Delicious Potluck meal brought by USArtsBerlin members

We met up with Co-Verlag partner Jason Burgess, and Rebecca, Jason, and I took the S-Bahn (subway) to a party hosted in honor of NYFA’s visit by the U.S. Embassy. Artists kate hers and Madeline Stillwell were kind enough to plan this potluck meet and greet with their group USArtsBerlin so that I could speak directly with artists in the group, along with Elizabeth Corwin of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

I enjoyed my time talking to the artists, who came from all over the United States. We spoke of artists’ upcoming projects and acclimation to German culture.

Kristen Tovson

As KSK was fresh in my mind, one attendee caught my eye. I spoke with Kristen Tovson, an American dancer, who is a few months along in her pregnancy. She told me about the German government’s child rearing incentives that applied to her as a taxpaying German resident.

She noted Kindergeld, a children or family allowance that helps defray some of the costs of raising children, and Mutterschutz, mandatory maternity leave for employed women working for a German company.

In the evening, I attended a dance performance at Dock11/Eden****. Kirsten Seeligmüller, one of the founders of Dock11, and NYFA Blog friend Sven Neumann  showed me around the beautiful dance studios and performance spaces at Dock11 and Eden****. Afterwards, the pair invited me to a cast party barbecue, where I enjoyed the company of artists and friends and ate some truly exceptional sausage.

At the USArtsBerlin Party hosted by Art Laboratory

I left the potluck and barbecue with a sense for the artists community in Berlin, and I look forward to learning more about the positives (and perhaps negatives) of living in Berlin as an American artist as I continue my tour of the city.

Entry filed under: Events, General Arts News, NYFA Programs, Travel, Uncategorized. Tags: Art, Artist, Cities, Executive Director, Inspiration, Travel.