IIt’s noon by the time I wake up in my apartment in Kalk after another long night at Schnörres in the southern part of Cologne. Fauna C was playing me the latest recordings from her rehearsals and I was having far too much fun to call it a night any earlier. I skim over my most important mails and start the day with the three c’s: coffee, cats, (herbal) cigarette. You can’t beat working from bed!
My sister comes over in her lunch break, a sign that I should get outside for some fresh air. I’m feeling a bit rough from all the sparkling wine last night but manage a small detour to Casablanca on Taunusstrasse. Their avocado and date shake is the best, but there’s a massive queue. And if I hadn’t left my shake on the counter and had to go back for it, and if the train at Trimbornstrasse didn’t always come two minutes too early, I would have been on time.
So I arrive at my appointment in the Media Park with a few minutes’ delay. This is where the Academy of the Arts of the World has its offices and I’m here to discuss this year’s opening weekend under the new artistic director Madhusree Dutta, which I have the pleasure of co-curating. We’re full of ideas and energy and I’m in a great mood when I set off to Ebertplatz. In our art space, GOLD+BETON, we’re in the middle of setting up an exhibition as the new season is about to start. Luckily everything is going to plan, the beer is already flowing, and everyone is chatting and getting on with their work while numerous security cameras (thanks to the KHM!) are being installed on the ceiling.
The afternoon passes by quickly and several Betonics (beer and tonics) later, I stumble into the night with the artists. We’ll probably take the classic route: King Georg on Sudermanstrasse, DURST on Weidengasse and later to a club. We might end up in Studio 672 on Venloer Strasse, but it’s also highly likely we might head to one of Cologne’s magical secret locations in the middle of nowhere — like a trucker parking space or a basement labyrinth near the banks of the Rhine. Just go with the flow and see where the night takes you!
(by Christian Werthschulte)