The Foreigner at the DMY Berlin

As usual, the summer is getting busy in Berlin, and there are more and more events and festivals taking place in the next days and weeks. Meanwhile, as I am ready for more adventures outside Berlin, I am trying to get as much as I can from the city, before I am finally enjoying a good vacation. Don't worry, as a travel writer vacation means a lot of work, documentation and writing, but it is the best life I ever had so fully enjoying it.

The last Thursday I went at Tempelhof to visit the International Design Festival. Since it went out of use as an airport - my first visit to the German soil took place at Tempelhof - it is regularly hosting big festivals, concerts and exhibitions. I love the history of the place and the opportunities of the location, but I am not terribly impressed by the interior design of the place. I know that it is cool to look poor and alternative in Berlin, but I am snobbish enough to think that a little bit of cleanliness and a good make-up can make you feel and look better. 

The huge space of the hangar was fully used, presenting a variety of objects and projects. From the fine home and kitchen design products, to bikes and cars and industrial design ideas, everything was generously outlined. (For more snapshots, have a look at my dedicated Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/ilanaontheroad/dmy-2013/)  There were a lot of action, music and hipsters, as you can see watching my short YouTube video.

Poland was the guest of honour, and many local schools of design and designers were present. There were a lot of emphasis on recycling and using the natural resources with measure as well as for multifunctional ideas. There were a lot of lightning project, many of them quite interesting in terms of shape and colour. 

I loved to talk with the Italian designers, but the Polish young authors, many of them living in Berlin or London, were also keen to present their projects. I visited the location on a mid-day Thursday, and it was plenty of people taking pictures and looking very professionally interested about the exhibits. Many corners made me think about the ideas usually presented in the 60s and 70s, translated in the world of iPads and iPhones. The passionate historian in me found some old DDR objects and some remnant pictures from the Cold War. There were also children with their parents, enjoying the creative yet simple playground, stuffed with wooden toys. 

The weakest point of the festival was the fashion design. Some products were raw kitsch, while others were unnoticeable and without any noticeable treat. The idea of many pieces of furniture - some made of recycled paper - was to challenge the classical idea of a room with a sofa, a bed and a TV - you can lay a blanket on the ground and a pillow and read your book for the rest of the evening, for instance. 

As usual in Berlin, the old and new are always connected

Shoes made by a Polish designer

Love the colour and the shape of those lamps

Dance with me around the clock

My favourite model.