I have been living here in Berlin for almost a decade now, and yet I still keep on finding interesting things to do and experience. One such thing is the Berlin Atonal. This is actually an annual music festival for sonic and visual art. Its focus is more on experimental music, and while I am more a fan of contemporary classical music, this is something that I definitely am interested in trying out. After a lull because of coronavirus restrictions, the Berlin Atonal was held again last month in Kraftwerk Berlin, which is a fantastic venue.
I've actually been in Kraftwerk Berlin before: in January 2020 there was this art installation that I chose to check out, and I must say, this venue is a fantastic place. There's this industrial feel of course, since this is a former power plant. And there's concrete everywhere. So when I heard about Berlin Atonal reconvening in Kraftwerk after the pause induced by the coronavirus pandemic, I was excited to check it out.
Metabolic Rift is the name of this year's festival. There is a guided part of this experience: visitors are told to simply follow the yellow light. Otherwise, there are plenty of dark spaces that one has to go through. And then suddenly there is a yellow light that shows people the way. The yellow light leads people to areas of the building that are otherwise not typically accessible. And along the way, there are various different pieces of art that has a visual and auditory component to it.
After 40 minutes, one emerges into the unguided part of the experience, which is the three floors of the power plant. There are plenty of art exhibitions that are on display. There was one piece that consisted of four car wrecks. I must say, it was slightly post-apocalyptic. I suppose this is what it feels like to go to an art gallery after Armageddon. In any case, I have to say I had a good time.
The whole experience was about two hours. And seriously, I am asking myself, why have I not heard of Berlin Atonal until now? I definitely would like to check this festival again next year.
