Lucia Jay von Seldeneck & Verena Eidel

 

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Lucia Jay von Seldeneck & Verena Eidel

The 2 Minute Interview

Lucia and Verena are two real Berliners through and through. At least they feel, live and breathe the city to its fullest. As the voice of the Heimathafen Neukölln and the dynamic duo behind the “111 places you should know” Empire, they summarize in word, image and experiences what’s hot between KW and Basdorf, what one should definitely know and, as of late, who. In their newest joint creation, they let us experience the most beautiful city of the world through the eyes, ears and mouths of 111 Berlin originals. Well, if that isn’t a reason to put them through their paces! By the way we’re giving away two freshly printed copys of the book to the berlin lovers among you. Just send an email entitled ‚YOU GOT IT?‘ to hurra@muxmaeuschenwild.de. Let’s go!

 

Name: Lucia Jay von Seldeneck | Verena Eidel
Age: 38 | 40
Home: Berlin Kreuzberg | out in the sticks
Profession: Author / publicist of the Heimathafen Neukölln | Graphic Design/Photography
Show size: 40 | a little too big
Favourite spot in Berlin: The Landwehrkanal – from the Geranium terrace of the Ankerklause up to the Urbanhafen and further on to the cozy spot under the willow – it’s the perfect composition. | at least 222
Contact: luciajay@googlemail.de | www.eidel.org
 

The typical Berliner is…
Lucia: …charming, polite, attentive, courteous – and, of course, never at a loss for an answer: so ask away!
Verena: … a quite friendly contemporary in general, that likes being talked to in a brash and cheeky manner in order for him be able to answer adequately.

 

Friends are visiting Berlin for the first and last time. What will you do?
Lucia: Go where Berlin shows its true colours: First, a bus ride (Bus driver: “Please step out of the Lichtschranke. I have time. You don’t”). Then, to the Prinzenbad (Big bustle in front of the take-away stand, one guy loses his cool: “We all have to die, but I don’t like being shoved.”)– and finally to the Hasenschänke (A pot of coffee or a cold beer in nature, what more could you need to be happy – and here, and there, even Berliners can’t help being full of praise: „Can’t whinge about his, ey?“)
Verena: A drive through Berlin at night – always ready to jump off and into the melee… From Ku’damm up to Frankfurter Allee and back to Wannsee via Treptow. And if it were Summer, we’d go swimming.

 

Quick test: What does “out in the sticks” mean to you?
Lucia: It can mean anywhere outside of one’s own neighbourhood. You should always think twice before accepting an invitation there. If everything seems perfect – people, music, food, night bus connection – then it’s worth taking the risk. But in general it’s better to stay in your own hood and keep away from the sticks.
Verena: Well, it means out in the sticks – where I live, you know?

 

An encounter you’ll never forget:
Lucia: A regular Saturday afternoon somewhere in Berlin. Suddenly, a window on the first floor opens above me and a man dressed in a vest leans out: “Excuse me! One question! Is today Friday or Saturday?”
Verena: How a young man saved my night.

 

You HAVE to move to another city. Which one?
Lucia: Maybe Reykjavik. But it stays dark all day in Winter… Maybe Marseilles would be better? Hm, supposed to be dangerous there… Or Lisbon? That would be very far away though…
Verena: I would move to Marseilles – rough charm, open sea and instead of Curry Wurst they have oysters to go.

 

Why should everyone have seen at least one play/concert at the Heimathafen?
Lucia: Entertainment for the whole gang!
Verena: Because it’s really lovely – a living room with plenty of stucco on the ceiling.

 

Your favourite swearword?
Lucia: Idiot – that was the worst swearword my grandmother knew. It was used rarely but with unmistakable contempt. That was engrained in my memory.
Verena: Bugger and damnation! – what a question!

 

Which piece of art would you like to own?
Lucia: Tests – Owning something doesn’t make it more attractive!
Verena: I’m looking for a patron for a drawing of Fidus’ „Frei nach Dieffenbach“ – I would hang it in my kitchen. Until then I’ll make do with the print on a post card.

  

Which piece of art would you like to own?
Lucia: Tests – Owning something doesn’t make it more attractive!
Verena: I’m looking for a patron for a drawing of Fidus’ „Frei nach Dieffenbach“ – I would hang it in my kitchen. Until then I’ll make do with the print on a post card.

 

What should everyone have tried in their lifetime?
Lucia: Get in the S-Bahn, get out at the end of the line, ask for the nearest lake, walk to the lake through the forest, get in the water, keep swimming and swimming until the shore becomes a teenytiny speck on the horizon.  Verena: To love.

 

Wenn will BER open?
Lucia: WHO?
Verena: Ooooh, they can take their time – until then I won’t be pestered by air lanes over my bedroom.

 

With which famous Berliner (dead or alive) would you like to go out for drinks?
Lucia: Christoph Schlingensief, Mascha Kaléko, Joachim Ringelnatz, Rio Reiser – but maybe not all of them at once. Or maybe I should?
Verena: I’d choose a walk through Berlin with Franz Hessel or dancing with Anita Berber, but drinks… ?

 

A penguin wearing a sombrero comes into the Heimathafen and says:
Lucia: „What? I didn’t buy it – it was a farewell present from the guys in Mexico!”
Verena: Hola chicas! (That’s all the Spanish he knows)

 

What would you cook for us if we came to visit you?
Lucia: This weekend? Then it would be asparagus, of course!
Verena: Just come on over – I’m making chicory chicken!

 

What are you afraid of?
Lucia: Car doors opening when I’m riding my bike down Karl-Marx-Strasse – luckily it will be a construction site for the next couple of years!
Verena: Of total mechanisation.

 

When was last time you tried something new and what was it?
Lucia: I did a Swing dance class. Well, I couldn’t look into the mirror a whole lot because I had to concentrate on my feet so much – I’m guessing that didn’t look so great! Now I’m thinking about learning synchronised swimming.
Verena: Some kind of dessert in a banana leaf on the Thai lawn in the Preussenpark.

 

What should no one know about you?
Lucia: No secrets!
Verena: Everything.

 

What question should we have asked?
Lucia: What, that’s it? You seriously don’t want to know how we chose the 111 Berliners? But that’s our favourite question…
Verena: What I value most about the book „Fragebogen“ by Max Frisch.

 

Last words:
Lucia: Enough!
Verena: Others are responsible for those.

 

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 27. April 2016 | Tags: |  Keine Kommentare

Who is Jack?

 

Who is Jack?

The 2 Minute Interview

Who is Jack? isn’t a question, it’s a statement. Since 2012, the so-named international formation around actor and musician Sven Carl Gusowski and actor and director Christian David Fischer have been developing interdisciplinary cultural projects focussed on theatre and local attachment in Berlin Neukölln. Content wise, the network deals with topics such as identity and the fragmentation of personalities caused by the ’new‘ media, separation and isolation in social agglomerations as well as finding a definition for the terms ‚homeland‘ and ‚at home‘. Whew, so in plain English that’s: step outside your front door, there are others waiting! Last week, he or she celebrated the debut of his/her revue „Wandering Stars“ about displaced people in the popular Heimathafen. On April 21st, 22nd, 29th and 30th you’ll have another chance of getting to the bottom of this. Our rating: do it! Why, wherefore and for what reason? That’s what we wanted to know and got an answer to every question. Well, sort of.

 

Name: Jack Buginithi
Age: timeless
Home: Berlin Neukölln
Profession: artist collective
Shoesize: L
Favourite piece: strawberry cake
Contact: weristjack.de

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Who is Jack?
That is currently being discussed.

 

Imagine you have to flee – tell us three possessions you would take with you.
Pillow (can’t sleep without it), Ukulele, current playbook – commented version.

 

What does home mean to you?
I like being from East/Westphalia, I like living in East/West/Berlin, I would really like to GO WEST, but first of all I’ll be travelling to China and Sri Lanka soon. And usually: ‚Wherever I lay my hat…‘ (Marvin Gaye)

 

The most important moment of your life?
I’m ready for it!

 

Neukölln is best?
Lentil soup. Have at it. Parallel societies. Live peacefully alongside each other without everyone having to be the same – it works!

 

What do you spend too much money on?
Rent. No downswing in sight.

 

The role of your life?
Backflip, off the cuff. I can’t do it yet, mind you, but luckily I have some life ahead of me.

 

Can art save the world?
As soon as I can do that backflip, we’re all set.

 

What is the first thing you would if you were invisible?
Run around and hand out slaps, leaving notes with suggestions on saving the world.

 

If God is almighty, can he create a stone, so heavy, that he could not jump over himself?
If God is almighty, he could give me the power to make myself invisible when needed.
With which famous figure (dead or alive) would you like to share the stage?
God. But does that count as an answer if it’s about ‚dead‘ or ‚alive‘? At least I got ‚famous‘ and ‚figure‘ right…

 

What would you cook for us if we came to visit you?
Tinned vegetarian Ravioli. We better visit Christian (stews in all variations!…)

 

What are you scared of?
Of doing everything right and everything well.
(Geez, these are some serious question… Makes me afraid of the next question…)

 

What was the last thing that touched you emotionally?
See? I knew it!

 

What would you change in the world if you had the chance and the power to?
I would immediately put the liquid funds of all Germans in one pot and divide it up amongst everyone. That would make around 60.000 Euro per person. I’m curious what would happen next.

 

What should no one know about you?
What would happen if I called the shots around here.

 

Which question should we have asked you?
„Why don’t you answer the question about who Jack is?“

 

The last word:
We have a question to everything.

  Photo: Rene Jaschke

 

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 21. April 2016 | Tags: , , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Anja Vatter

 

Anja Vatter

The 2 Minute Interview

Anja Vatter is one of our favourite people – sharp-witted, sophisticated, affectionate, inspiring, inspired and equipped with a strong fighting heart. If you have been searching for a definition of Rock ‘n’ Roll: there you go! Anja writes texts, publishes printed goods, creates from paper, folds, smoothens and strokes, believes in and shapes the good and beautiful, fills it with light and gives it away with love. For some time now, she has been writing for us, right here in this magazine, articles about sweet-talk or unique swimwear, for example, and we are so glad to have her. Dear Anja, today it’s about you. Have blast, her are your questions. And to everyone else: enjoy the next two minutes!

 

Name: Anja Vatter
Age: the best age after 39: no more have-to’s, but lots of still-can’s
Home: Berlin (and occasionally Bern)
Profession: Writer, publisher, PR-lady, shop-co-owner
Shoe size: 39
Favourite word: flamboyant
Contact:  www.anjavatter.com and www.vatterundvatter.de

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  Do you always answer the question ‘how are you?’ honestly?
Depends on who’s asking.

 

How are you?
Fantastic. I’ve just emerged from a big birthday weekend in a timeless friends-flow.

 

E-Books, E-Mags etc., everything is going digital. Is print really dying?
Of course not. But print products will change and open a whole new universe of the printed  And by the way: the feel, sound and smell of printed paper can’t be replaced.

 

When did you write your last letter?
And sent it off? A few weeks ago. And I have been writing a letter to my son for the past four years. He’ll get it when he’s eighteen, when I’m really getting on his nerves.

 

In ehat form are words the most beautiful?
Hand-written or gently aspirated with a wondrous pause between the lines.

 

You’re on a lonely island, which books did you bring?
Nico Paech’s »Liberation from Excess « (for reducing to the essential), »The Ship of Theseus« by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst (for the exact opposite) and »Gaming Instinct« by Juli Zeh (because it is the best book of modern times). And as a small extra: 500 blank pages, bound.

 

The most important invention of mankind?
Movable type printing.

 

Which moment changed everything.
I learned to read. And the world opened.

 

What are you no good at?
Ensuring the survival of potted plants.

 

Which piece of advice would you like to give every person?
There are as many Truths as there are people.

 

Your favourite swear word?
Chutzemischt.

 

Please complete: For one day, I’d like to be…
… my counterpart.

 

Where is you home?
Where I can read in the souls of loving people and they eloquently end my sentences for me.

 

What would you cook for us if we came to visit you?
I would let my boyfriend do the cooking but put all my dedication and passion into decorating the table, writing personal place cards, choosing the perfect drinks and being a relaxed (because not cooking) hostess.

 

What would you change in the world if you’d have the chance and the power to?
I’d bring back one or two people that passed on too soon.

 

When was last time you tried something new and what was it?
I mixed up two circles of friends last week. And it worked out fantastically. And we ate lamb sweetbread, which was also a first.

 

What should no one know about you?
That I can never remember how to spell the German words for »mattress«, »terrace« and »reputed« correctly.

 

Which question should we have asked?
»what comes after the future?«

 

Last words: …have by far not yet been spoken. And definitely not written.

 

Foto: martinbichsel.ch

 

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 13. April 2016 | Tags: , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Sebastian Szary

 

Sebastian Szary

The 2 Minute Interview

Sebastian Szary is one third Moderat and one half Modeselektor. That is not a mathematical impossibility but the unadulterated, pure and unreasonable truth. Made, born and raised in Rüdersdorf and East Berlin, Szary, as friends (and anyone else, really) call him affectionately, initially painted the capital red with his companion Gernot in the 90s before heading onto the stages of the republic, wait no, the whole wide world with their project Modeselektor later on.  When Sascha Ring aka Apparat joined them in 2002, they formed Moderat – Modeselektor plus Apparat equals Moderat, get it? Get it? Which kind of leads us back to arithmetic. On Friday, their third studio album is finally coming out and goes by the shapely name of „III“. We had a chat with Szary, aka the man in blue, about childhood, magic, blackouts, Synesthesia, his new book and music, of course, and didn’t want to leave. Also appearing in further roles were Gernot Bronsert, aka “the voice from offstage”, and Sascha Ring, aka “The Selfie-Bomber”.

 

Name: Szary
Age: 40
Home: Schildow
Job: Livin’ the dream
Shoe size: 43,5
Favourite sound: The milk frother
Contact: moderat.fm

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 Why do people call you by your last name?
Well…. I think that’s an easy one. Most last names that end with an „i“ or a „y“ immediately sound like nicknames. It used to get on my nerves but then eventually I got used to it. Actually, it’s quite a cool name. Americans, by the way, can’t pronounce it. Charly, Scary… forget it.

 

Describe III with three words:
Very intense album.

 

How has Moderat changed in the past 14 years?
Has it been 14 years already? Our demands are higher, we’ve developed further. There are a lot of things we still do the same way as we used to but we have become better at what we do and above all, we know exactly what we don’t want.

 

A concert you’ll never forget:
That was a really dramatic concert two years ago. In electronic music, there is always this primal fear of a technical glitch. Power failure, cables and so on. We were playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, high-tech as far as the eye could see, 5 cameras. We’re performing Bad Kingdom, the intro sequence is playing and everyone is waiting for the scream. And then the scream came – and after that: nothing. And then you’re standing there, looking into all of these expectant faces and wide open eyes. And there’s nothing you can do. A combination of embarrassment and helplessness. I smoked a cigarette back stage and thought, I guess they’ll come and get me. It took half an hour. And then it turned out really great.

 

Is your music better when you’re sad or happy?
I think I have to be in a good mood. But I can also make sad music when I’m happy, that’s not a problem.

 

Your track for eternity?
One song I absolutely like even though I didn’t grow up with it is ‚Till I Die‘ by The Beach Boys, but in the alternate version.

 

Share a magical place!
A couple of years back, we bought a barn for a small, and I mean very small, amount of money in the district Prignitz and did it up like a hippie community. That is truly my place of craving. Prignitz is the Bretagne of Brandenburg. If you imagine Brandenburg as France, the northern tip is Prignitz. Nothing happens there, there’s no internet, the only way to tell what day of the week it is, is whether the bus comes or not.

 

If you had to choose: deaf or dumb?
Dumb. Do you mind if I smoke?

 

Which moment changed everything?
1989. I had the perfect age. I was 14 and totally interested in music – I just didn’t know how to get my hands on it. Then the wall fell and everything was available. Berlin, the sub-culture that formed after the turnaround. The wild east! And then Scooter happened.

Must-read, must-see, must-hear:
Book: House advertising. I’ve published a book; it’s called Backstage Tristesse. It’s a photo book, I photographed backstage rooms. There are these sad moments when you open the door to have a look and think: hm, I can really see the effort here. ;)
Film: Fassbinder’s Fear Eats the Soul
Record: So many records, so much music, I’m just going through my record collection in my head, my iTunes-list (I’m a synesthete)… The third Moderat album, there!

 

The most important invention of mankind?
Electricity, I guess. I actually did try going without it, out at the ranch, but I failed. Electricity connects. I saw a picture from a refugee camp yesterday, lots of tangled mobile charger cables. That’s not about killing time, it’s about connectivity, about staying connected to the people you love.

 

Who would you erect a monument for?
My mother. A very small one that not everyone has access to. Actually I already have. There’s a small dedication on the new album.

 

What celebrity (dead or alive) would you like to have a drink with? As I am a passionate smoker, it would have to be Helmut Schmidt.

 

If we visited you at home, what would you cook for us? A Persian dish, Fesenjan. That’s slow-cooked chicken in pomegranate stock with a side of rice and barberries.

 

What are you afraid of?
Nuffink! (answers Gernot from offstage)

 

When was the last time you tried something new and what was it?
New club decoration (from offstage, again!)! All three of us went parachuting. You fly up there and the doors open and then you drop into this free fall. When we got to the ground we were still completely high but my wife told me that I spent the following night twitching hectically in my sleep, reliving the whole thing. I’m not doing that again.

 

What would you change if you could?
Keep yesterday’s people with yesterday’s ideas away from positions of power.

 

What should no one know about you?
Well, you know my age already… Hm, why I’ve had an anchor tattooed on my hand. Sometimes I draw a stereo anchor next to it with a biro, by the way.

 

Which question should we have asked?
How much coffee do you drink per day?

 

Last words:
Hardcore will never die!

P.S. Can I take a picture of your notes? Awesome, that looks like the inside of my head!

 

Photo: Flavien Prioreau

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 31. März 2016 | Tags: , , , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Daniela Kamps

Daniela Kamps

The 2 Minute Interview

When the new Couch Magazine arrives at the office, it tends to very quickly look like this: Notes and dog-ears as far as the eye can see, every other page is marked with a yellow (Julia), green (Katharina) or pink (Chantal) post-it note and at least three to six pages have been surgically removed with a scalpel and introduced to the scanner. Couch is our absolutely favourite feel-good magazine. Not only is it where we find our clients’ publications on a regular basis (hence the clipping) – it is always a source for all things inspiring, new and worth remembering (hence the labels, notes and kinks). Responsible for all this is Daniela Kamps. She is chief editor on the couch, er…, of the Couch and is damned serious about it. She armed herself with her first level at the age of five and has been setting up IKEA shelves and DIY furniture, decorating them with flowers – real ones, of course – and living a life beyond fear ever since. We’ll drink a Sake Highball to that!

 

Name: Daniela Kamps
Age: 41
Home: Hamburg
Profession: Chief editor of COUCH Magazine
Shoe size: 39
Favourite furniture: my vintage blue velvet chaise longue
Contact: Facebook

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What did your first flat look like?
A pretty unspectacular 1-bedroom flat, but with lots of DIY furniture.

 

4 years of Couch feel like….
… a blink of an eye, that’s how much fun it is working with the greatest team on the planet.

 

The worst decoration sin?

Artificial flowers of any kind – if you’re going to have a rubber tree, keep it real!

 

Do you have a talent for DIY?

Maybe a little, not even the most finicky IKEA piece is safe from me. My father gave me my first level when I was five.

 

Your product highlight 2016 so far?

The „Loop Trays“ from Woud, a design by Julie Tolvanen.

 

What’s the current screen saver on your phone?

A close-up from a beauty shoot.

 

What do you spend too much money on?

Fresh flowers…

 

What’s next?

A lovely surprise from COUCH!

  

Which piece of art would you like to own?
I love Tim Walker’s and Camilla Akrans’ photography, I could imagine a few of their pieces in my flat.

 

What would you cook for us if we came to visit you?
Beetroot Carpaccio, pasta with fennel and Salsiccia and a Tarte Tartin for dessert.

 

What are you afraid of?
That people could get more and more egotistical and indifferent toward what surrounds them.

 

When was last time you tried something new and what was it?
I tasted my way through a Japanese Menu in Hong Kong, including Sake Highballs. The whole concept at “Ronin” was sensational and the food was a whole new dimension of taste.

 

What dark secret should no one know about you?
The horrible music I used to listen to.

 

Last words:
No Fear! My motto for 2016, it has been very rewarding so far!

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 23. März 2016 | Tags: , , |  Keine Kommentare

Juice Owusu

 

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Juice Owusu

The 2 Minute Interview

What a name! And what a guy! Juice Owusu is manager of The Grand – one of the hottest clubs this awesome city has to offer. Gone are the days when he used to hang out on hip-hop stages together with a, back then, very young man called Sido or organised his first legendary parties at the Boogaloo and 90 Grad. Nowadays, it’s more about heading out to the Schlachtensee with pasta  – after a great night of clubbing and a lie-in, of course. After all, the last song is always ‚Sex on Fire‘ by Kings of Leon – no further questions, your honour. P.S. We never said anything about Rumpelstiltskin…

Name: Kwame „Juice“ Owusu
Age: 37
City: Berlin / Schöneberg
Job: Club manager
Shoe size: 44.5 / 45
Favourite place: Berlin / Schöneberg
Contact: Facebook or instagram
 

Are you living in the right city?
After about 30 years, I think I must be. Or I must have done something wrong.

 

What’s so special about The Grand?
It’s like a reflection of life. You meet nice people, enjoy good food and celebrate life. For a few hours, you can step into a completely different world. Places like that are hard to find.

 

Truth be told, what would you have never done without alcohol?
Putting my car keys on the driver’s seat and leaving the door open.

 

Which legendary party would you like to have organised yourself?
Hmm, that’s a hard one. The 90s BACK IN THE DAYz hip-hop-party – if I hadn’t done it myself already…

 

Friends of yours are in town for the first and last time. What are your plans?
I’ll show them the typical sights of Berlin – ones that are often forgotten. Instead of Kastanienallee or Friedrichshain I’ll take them to see the „Goldelse“ Viktoria in the middle of the huge Tiergarten. After a night of clubbing, we’ll then go on a trip to the Schlachtensee the next morning, rent a boat and chill out.

 

How can you tell that you’re all grown up?
I’m more sensible now… and unfortunately I need more sleep.

 

An evening you’ll never forget?
My old rap band was the supporting act for Outcast. Being on stage with your idols? #priceless

 

If you met your 18 year-old self, what advice would you give him?
“Hey kid, do everything exactly the same way – and have faith in the right people“.

  

Where do you go when you go out?
I’m practically „out“ every night. So I like visiting my friends at home.

 

The coolest Berliner ever:
I always thought Harald Juhnke was very cool. A real Berliner to the core. All of the others are just Berliners by choice.

 

With which famous personality would you like have coffee?
Karl-Heinz Müller (founder BBB).

 

What would you cook for us if we visited you at home?
An easy meal my wife taught me. Tasty, quick and – of course – organic. Pasta with dried tomatoes, tuna, olives and goat’s cheese….mhmmm, very yummy.

 

What are you afraid of?
Fear is a bad adviser. So I tend to stay away from it. My environment and I both benefit from that.

 

Which superpower would you like to have?
I’m a Batman fan, although he’s not really a typical superhero. Sometimes, all it really takes is will power to move mountains just like superheroes do.

 

What should no one know about you?
…that Rumpelstiltskin is my name…

 

Which question should we have asked?
When can our team come visit you?

 

Last Words:
Love, laugh and enjoy spending time together. We’re all only here for a little while. Don’t take anything for granted and remember that nothing lasts forever.

 

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 16. März 2016 | Tags: , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Nadja König

 

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Nadja König

The 2 Minute Interview

A wise man once said if you’re good at crafts, you can do anything. And right he was. Nadja König is pretty much the arts and craft champion around here. With a pen, a pair of scissors and paper she invents and creates completely and utterly astounding things. Fashion for example, or stationary concepts for big fish such as Johnny Walker or Häberlein and Mauerer. Nadja immediately won our hearts when she presented her unbelievably awesome illustrations for a PR client – lovely hand drawn shampoo bottles, tubes, jars, drinks and even water processing units (!). We met with the young and wild mummy for some cucumber soup and had a chat about package holidays, crime scenes and the normal day-to-day madness in the life of a paper-crazy person.

 

Name: Nadja König
Age: still 31
City: Munich
Job: Illustrator, paper lover and fashion designer
Shoe size: 37 – have you got some shoes for me ;-)?
Favourite pen: Rotring ink pen
Contact: www.stiftscherepapier.de
Please tell us how to make the perfect paper airplane.

Fold left, fold right, from top to bottom, halfway down and off it goes.;-)

 

What’s the best part about your job?
Creating new things is always exciting – be it as a fashion designer or a person crazy about paper.

 

And what is really annoying?
Unreliability – be it clients, partners or suppliers – really bothers me.

 

If you could paint your own perfect world, with what would you start?
The sky.

 

Who or what inspires you?
Even if it sounds like a cliché, I always try going through life with my eyes open!

 

What are your three most important tools?
A pen, a pair of scissors, paper.

 

Which moment changed everything?
It sounds a bit cheesy, but the birth of my daughter changed everything. All of a sudden, you know exactly what you want in life and what’s important – and also what is not!

 

Share a magical place!
Hmm, that’s a hard one. To be honest I think any place can be magical if you’re with the right people.

 

Once and never again?
A package holiday on the Canary Islands.

 

Do you believe in fate?
Definitely. Lately, lots of things in my life kept changing. But every new situation always offered new opportunities as well.
What was your greatest success so far?
In terms of my recent work in the scope of StiftScherePapier it was the collaboration with Johnny Walker and Häberlein und Mauerer. I was able to create a complete stationary concept and the client’s enthusiasm and excitement made me very proud.

 

What are you afraid of?
Not being able to see and take in new pictures.

 

Which piece of art would you like possess?
The Young Hare by Dürer.

 

What would you cook for us if we visited you at home?
An iced cucumber soup as a starter, then something with fish, and tiramisu for desert. When are you coming?

 

Which super power would you like to have?
Of course I’d need a sensational outfit first and then I’d fly around and do all sorts of good things ;-)

 

When did you last try something new and what was it?
It’s been a while, but I went water-skiing last summer. It was really amazing and my muscles were so sore I couldn’t move for two weeks.

 

Which question should we have asked?
Is Sunday night Tatort night?

 

Last Words:
Because I´m happy.

 

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 09. März 2016 | Tags: , , |  Keine Kommentare

Malte & Enno

 

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Malte & Enno

The 2 Minute-Interview

Official debut: For the first time ever, we’ve interviewed two genuine shit advisors aka loo entrepreneurs – and about time it was! Malte Schremmer and Enno Schröder are the mind and heart (and butt) behind Goldeimer – the cleanest business concerning human needs. Goldeimer toilets are used at festivals, are always clean, always offer enough toilet paper, light and a good read. They’re designed to work without any chemicals or water and the remains are composted. The greater part of the profits go towards WASH (Water, Sanitation Hygiene) projects of our friends Viva con Agua. Oh, and most recently the gents have started making toilet paper, too. We shamelessly interrupted the two of them during their Gameboy session in the powder room and boldly asked them about their business.

 

Name: Malte Schremmer | Enno Schröder
Age: 28 | 33
City: here today, gone tomorrow | Hamburg
Job: Shit Advisor | Loo Entrepreneur
Shoe size: 44 | 46, sometimes 47
Favourite loo: Well that’s a stupid question. Goldeimer, of course!  | Goldeimer without a door and with a view
Contact: malte@goldeimer.de | www.goldeimer.de

 

How do you make money from shit?
M: Years of practice. If you keep trying, you’ll be rewarded eventually.
E: Have a good look at what exactly is needed. People visiting big events would give everything for a clean toilet! So, if you can offer them sanitary facilities that are clean, entertaining, eco-friendly and informative, they will love you for it and gladly pay for a trip to the loo.

 

Reading, playing Gameboy, surfing the web… what is your favourite pastime on the toilet?
M: Playing Tetris on the Gameboy Color until my left leg has fallen asleep or the rocket appears on the display.
E: Reading and using my phone. By the way, I’m going to give a design award to whoever invents a toilet seat that prevents your legs from falling asleep.

 

How do explain to your parents that you’ve become a toilet paper manufacturer?
M: We’re not toilet paper manufacturers, we’re ambassadors from a forgotten world for a natural resource that has been underestimated far too long. Pooping was something completely normal in our family. My grandfather was a plumber and I grew up watching Werner movies.
E: Same as the above. I have nothing to add.

 

What can each individual do to help make the world a better place?
M: Get yourself a composting toilet and tell all your neighbours that you’re now composting your own shit. At the same time, call out a neighbourhood battle to find out who can grow the largest sunflower on the compost.
E: Be aware at all times of the effect your actions have. Respect and appreciate yourself, your environment and the people around you and live sufficiently.

 

What was the last thing that really moved you?
M: This documentation
E: Thinking of #Clausnitz and #Bautzen makes me absolutely speechless and very angry. We seem to be in a politically tense situation in general with various crises and a large country that will hopefully not vote for the idiot.

 

What is the most important invention of mankind?
M: The loo. No other invention in the history of mankind has saved that many lives.
E: The dishwasher.

 

What shouldn’t anyone put off till tomorrow?
M: Going to the toilet. Constipation can end badly…
E: Meetingpeople and having a good time.

 

Which famous personality would you like to meet for a glass of water?
M: Tony Hsieh from Zappos.
E: How about beer? I’d really like to knock back a few beers with Udo Lindenberg.

 

What would you cook for us if we visited you at home?
M: A Cambodian street food spin-off.
E: Tortellini or any other filled pasta with mushrooms and ham, Parmesan on top and some good wine.

 

What are you afraid of?
M: Boredom and stealth illnesses.

 

When did you last try something new and what was it?
M: I watched Star Wars in a 4DX cinema in Phnom Penh.
E: Tortellini or any other filled pasta with a mushroom and ham, Parmesan on top. Thanks Felix.

 

What should no one know about you?
M: The Internet really doesn’t need to know everything.
E: Right.

 

Which question should we have asked?
M: Which three animal or botanical skills would you like to have? My answers would be photosynthesis, gecko hands and making spider’s webs.
E: Why aren’t you a vegetarian yet?

 

Last Words:
M: Shit is beautiful.
E: Buy Goldeimer toilet paper, ride your bikes more often, be vegetarians and be kind to fellow human beings. Take your pick…

 

Photo: Noah Felk

 

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 02. März 2016 | Tags: , , , |  Keine Kommentare

André Hamann

 

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André Hamann

The 2 Minute Interview

André Hamann is one of those guys you really should be jealous of. But you just can’t because not only is he brazenly handsome, talented in many ways and incredibly successful – to top it all off, he also manages to stay super nice, polite and humble through it all. He was discovered during his traineeship at H&M, made a career as a model, lived in Athens and Cape Town. Today, dear André has 1 million followers on Instagram (yes, that’s right: ONE MILLION!), his fashion label „Haze & Glory“ recently opened it’s first pop-up store at Bikini Berlin and right now, he’s launching his own fitness programme „Absolut André“ in New York. What, that’s all?! Nope. Last Thursday he made an appearance at Germany’s Next Top Model, where he introduced his new label and hand-picked some of the new faces for his show. This just sounds too perfect and gives us reason to launch a most thorough investigation. Seriously: where’s the catch?

 

Name: André Hamann
Age: 28
City: Berlin
Job: Entrepreneur
Shoe size: 43
Favourite label: Haze & Glory
Contact: absoluteandre.com

We’ve got to ask: are you single?
Unfortunately, I’ve been single for six years. I’m still waiting for her.

 

What’s the first thing you do after waking up?
Turn on music, check emails, and enjoy a glass of lemon water.

 

Isn’t it really hard work to always stay in shape?
No, quite the opposite. You just have to be willing to change a few habits, eat the right food and do the really efficient workouts.

 

Model, designer, fitness guru, musician…could you please make up your mind!?
That’s exactly what I’ve decided on. Best of all: all these things enhance each other and are sources of inspiration… so, I never get bored.

 

How do you keep almost a million followers on instagram happy?
With a positive attitude that I try to pass on to people with my photos and messages.

 

Who is going to Germanys Next Top Model 2016?
I have no influence on that. ;) But I do have a favourite.

 

What are you proud of?
My family, my friends, and what I’ve managed to achieve by myself.

 

What are you no good at?
I’m never really mad at anyone.

 

Share a magical place anywhere in the world.
I did a lot of travelling over the past six years and was able to see wonderful places. The most beautiful was Cape Town. Because of the lovely weather and the ocean there is an awful lot that has a magical effect on me.

 

What song makes you cry?
If I cry, then only tears of joy. For example when hearing City & Colour’s „Against the grain“.

 

Which super power would you like to have?
I’ve always seen myself as Spiderman – he’s extraordinary and does good.

 

What would you cook for us if we visited you at home?
One of my 100 delicious AbsolutAndre recipes.

 

What are you afraid of?
Death.

 

What would you change if you had the power to?
No wars, no hunger, no envy!

 

What should no one know about you?
That I feel really lonely sometimes.

 

Which question should we have asked?
What exactly do you do to stay in shape?

 

Last Words:
Let’s go!

 

Photo: Martin Becker

 

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 24. Februar 2016 | Tags: , , , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Ben Pommer

 

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Ben Pommer

The 2 Minute Interview

What defines good food? Sophisticated compositions, pleasant surprises, spectacular presentation and exquisite service? To a certain extent, yes. Ultimately, though, it is about enjoying and experiencing culinary delights together. Ben Pommer feels the same and would always choose a table full of food and friends over any Michelin starred palace. The chef had had a bellyfull (haha, very funny!) of three-star-kitchens and watching his passion and love for food be boiled to shreds. So he decided to start grilling ribs – in food stalls, on markets and always delicious. Gourmet ribs, so to say. What happened then is rather spectacular. All of a sudden, good old Ben was everywhere. Village Market? Ben Pommer. Parker Bowles? Ben Pommer. Food court at Neue Heimat? Ben Pommer. Happy Belly? Ben Pommer. Expert advice for the country’s latest and most exciting restaurant concepts? Guess who…  Who is this man with a name that already sounds like a hearty dish of roast potatoes with something really juicy. That’s exactly what we wanted to find out, too. After all, we’ve been working with him now for the second time round and this sums it up quite well: take a big portion of talent, mix it with a large helping of creative potential, add a generous dash of gumption and a pinch of humour to taste. Bon appetit!

 

Name: Ben Pommer
Age: 31
City: Berlin
Job: chef and restaurateur
Shoe size: 46
Favourite ingredient: butter
Contact: fragnach@ben-pommer.com
What was the last thing you had to eat?
A fabulous chicken sandwich at a tasting for a new summer project.

 

Sweet or savoury?
Definitely savoury.

 

If you had to decide between never eating a burger again or eating a burger everyday, what would you choose?
Then never again. For one thing, burgers are overrated and often not particularly exciting and for another thing, there are far too many good ingredients that shouldn’t be anywhere near a burger and I definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on them.

 

What can’t you get enough of?
Indulgence!

 

If you weren’t a chef, then you’d probably be …
Then I probably would have finished my business degree and would be cooped up in an office bored to death. What a horrible image…

 

What is the most disgusting thing you’ve ever had to eat?
I’ve eaten many – let’s say unusual – things during my travels. But the most unpleasant thing by far was a deep-fried tarantula. The little hairy legs are manageable, but I really would prefer not to eat the gooey insides ever again.

 

A day you’ll never forget:
A while ago, I spent some time in Tokyo with two good friends and we chowed our way through the city. It was fantastic! There is not a city that can compete with these culinary delights. Anyway, we had chosen a restaurant we wanted to go to, but we couldn’t make any reservations and would have had to wait at least an hour to get a table. But we were already starving and my friends convinced me to try somewhere else in a district with lots of very small places typical for Tokyo and only seating up to 10 people. But it was a Sunday and almost all restaurants were closed. One of us then saw a little sign glowing on the first floor of a building in a dark alley. I was annoyed that we didn’t stay at the initial restaurant, but what we then got to eat was unique in its freshness and quality. We had ended up in a little restaurant with charcoal table grills and were grilling all sorts of Kobe beef cuts and offal and eating sensational pickled vegetables. After about 2 hours, the head chef came to our table in disbelief and was extremely happy to see how much we appreciated his food. He brought Sake and it was a very long evening with old and new friends, spectacular food and drinks. It was absolutely brilliant!

 

What do you regret not having done by now?
I have no regrets, but it’s really time for me to do some more travelling… I’ve especially been wanting to go to Africa for years.

 

Any exclusive culinary insider tips for Berlin?
It still is an insider tip and I guess it would be quite egoistic not to share it…too bad, really. A friend of mine that I worked with in Hamburg and Bergisch Gladbach has opened a new wine bar. And it won’t be a secret for long anyway… Weinbar Schwein at Elisabethkirchstraße 2 in Mitte. Extremely good!

 

In which situation would you like to say „no“ more often?
At work…I work a lot and sometimes I’d like to be able to say „no“ more often and have more time for my personal life.

 

With which famous person would you like to go out for a drink?
Franz Beckenbauer, in vino veritas.

 

Why aren’t pizza boxes round?
So they don’t roll away, should the deliveryman drop them…

 

What would you cook for us if we visited you at home?
I thought maybe you could cook for a change?!

 

What are you afraid of?
Allergies and intolerances that make it difficult for me to cook. Preparing lobster bisque must be horrible if you’re allergic to shellfish.

 

When was the last time you did something for the first time and what was it?
Last week, my head chef and I bought crates of vegetables and pickled, fermented and smoked loads of them. That was exciting and very educational.

 

What should no one know about you?
That I suffer from red/green colour blindness, which can sometimes be quite challenging in the kitchen.

 

Which question should we have asked?
When can we finally eat at your place again?

 

Last Words:
Not necessarily something the guest always has…

 

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Kategorien: People | Autor: | Datum: 17. Februar 2016 | Tags: , , , |  Keine Kommentare