Kerstin Honeit and New York Cheesecake

Sonntag

As part of the remit for my being in Berlin, Artquest have asked me to do some interviews about life as an artist in the city. In the first week I arrived I met April Gertler and Adrian Schiesser at an opening/launch party. Whilst chatting we discovered a co-incidental link with Peckham and a love of good cake and they  invited me  to Sonntag.

I shall explain.

At the heart of projects they are both engaged in, lies Sonntag. Described as a ‘social sculpture’, Sonntag began life as an idea in Adrian’s head when he first moved to Berlin three years ago. It was difficult to get an apartment and to furnish it and he didn’t know that very many people. He ended up with what might be described as a small 60’s granny flat, inherited same decade furniture and a beautiful tea set containing 35 plates. When he met April the idea for the project finally got realised. An artist is invited to do something in the apartment and April and Adrian set to work on baking the artist’s favourite cake. This is done with the utmost care and dedication to getting everything right. On the 3rd Sunday of the month the flat is opened up and the public are invited in to view the work and engage in conversation over tea and cake. A small courtesy charge is asked to cover the cost of beverages and the ingredients for the cake, which one is more than willing to give.

I arrived with an old friend who lives in the same neighbourhood of Schoneberg, a neighbourhood that I immediately took a great shine too. It feels like an area where real people actually live if you know what I mean: people from all walks of life, working, shopping, drinking. One feels a real sense of place. There is not so much new building here in the West, it seems to have stopped somewhere in the mid  80’s. There are all kinds of living spaces from grand old apartments behind big old doors to many different types of housing blocks and flats. There are plaques on walls and walls where  plaques should be. As well as being the place where famous writers, musicians and actors once lived there is every shop imaginable – not to mention famous bars and music venues – in one mighty long high-street. For instance, I was told by a local that “This shop is quite famous you know, it is selling only suitcases” and there is an Apple store that actually only sells apples not computers, mainly because so many people use apples in cake baking.

I love it.

So, talking of cake again…

We partook in some fresh Peppermint Tea and New York cheesecake which just hit in all the right places and was utterly delightful. The work of artist Kirsten Honeit fitted so perfectly in this whole context. Myself and my friend got chatting to different people and had a throughly lovely time. Such a different experience to turning up at some gallery on your own, not knowing anyone and trying to get to the bar.

Sonntag = one of the nicest Sundays I have had in a very long time.

Note: Kerstin Honeit presented MOTIVES? THAT’S AN UGLY IMPLICATION an installation relating to her work-in-progress TALKING BUSINESS at Sonntag – 16 February 2014 ( see above Image)

The Next Sonntag in Berlin : 18th May, Schiesser, GossowstraBe 10,10777Berlin
Next International Sonntag : 5th October, Peckham, London

Link: http://sonntagberlin.tumblr.com

Lucienne In conversation with sonntag: