TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

  

VIEWING ALL POSTS FOR: SEPTEMBER 2007

Friday, September 28, 2007

11:14 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Having a gentle reflective morning. Thre huge oak tree in the courtyard is already curling into autumn, soon it will be bare. I love the changing seasons, growing up in constant sunshine is not all it's cracked up to be.

Dancing around now to Modest Mouse, bop bop bopbopbopbop, there's an eterntal teenager in everyone, love or rock'n'roll it's the same effect. They're so upbeat and pop, but still dark and melancholy. OK, and maybe I've been OD'ing lately on experimental music. My god, something with a beat and a melody. Joy!


"I'm gonna find another place, maybe one I can stand (...)
got to the door and then I couldn't stop (...)

The days get shorter and the nights get cold, I like the autumn but this place is getting old, I pack my belongings and I head for the coast
It might not be a lot, but I feel like I'm making the most (...)

I like songs about drifters, books about the same,
they both seem to make me feel a little less insane..."
(Modest Mouse, The World at Large)

...although the music is making me want a cigarette, yes it's all downhill from here. that beautiful skin ahhh ok maybe I won't ;)

Took myself to the opening of Berlin Art Forum at the old BVG (trams I think) factory at Gesundbrunnen. Indeed, out in Wedding. The police had barricaded one of the big intersections when I arrived, riot gear, crime scene tape... it looked very intense. No idea what was going on.

The art was a whole other crazy trip. You walked in through one huge warehouse space, and into a series of shipping containers, then across to another enormous warehouse, through hundreds of artists work jostling for space on the walls, floor and roof, then out of that one and into another vast space, then across the road into another one, and I think maybe even one more right at the end. Waaaaaaaay too much art for one night. Imagine all the galleries on the main art street in town and multiply it by ten... no, by a hundred. Insanity. Remember a few pieces that intrigued me, but it was hard to concentrate on anything for long. Had a chat with a nice young artist who was sitting with an installation of dummy bodies that had come to various bloody ends. 'It's called "Kill your Galerist"', she told me, laughing, and promised a cocktail party with angels on saturday afternoon at the new artists anonymous space.

So, am happy that life is taking me on a different course, eschewing the sound/art for a moment and concentrating on words words words.

And now that the hyper-speeed warp drive I've been on has spat me out and I'm starting to come down from the five year high of constant travel, a few key things are emerging.

One: do less.
Two: be receptive
Three: go deeper

I know, I've said it before, but it bears repeating. Eventually it will sink in. And for now, there are all those highly prolific experimental band bios to collect, which I have to tell you are making me feel somewhat of an underachiever. Then again, when you're in the middle of it, life looks completely different to how it appears from outside.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

11:21 AM
Posted by jodi rose

This morning it's all about the radio... from far away.

Listening to Lucinda Williams on Morning Becomes Eclectic KCRW
Morning Becomes Eclectic

Last night hear a Triple J announcer make the comment that 'Berlin is a bleak kind of place' hilarious. Nothing could be further from the truth. He was talking about Kat Frankie, who grew up in Sydney and moved to Berlin in 2004, and writes gorgeous, melancholy dark pop.


About to jump on my bicycle and pedal out into the sunshine. Luscious.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

11:51 PM
Posted by jodi rose

I am constantly enchanted by this city. Someone has been painting the outlines of hearts, stars and tears onto the bicycle lights all around town, so as they change you have a short poetic moment of whimsy before setting pedal to the metal again. That's Australian slang for speeding, for all you european readers.

A reminder that melancholy, bittersweet love is my favourite kind.

I'm listening to some very strange sounds on furthernoise radio program, with live visuals at their visitors studio. Very avant-garde bicycle performance. All I need now is a vodka.

"Radio stream http://www.bcfm.org.uk
Visual Stream Log into http://www.visitorsstudio.org

Subscribe to our new itunes podcasts of current and past programmes
from the radio menu of the site http://www.furthernoise.org"

How much do I love being in the same time-zone as these things!

Chatted with Julaine today, who just arrived in a small town outside Salzberg. It's so good to be on the same continent. Funny, I'm writing a piece about homesickness when I don't actually feel it yet, too many australians passing through. After six months away I have been emailing lots of friends to say hi, it feels like time for a visit to Melbourne, but that won't be until next year now. Think it's only just starting to become real, to me if no-one else, that this is it. Finally.

Woke up yesterday after my cathartic weekend to an absolute sense of peace and clarity, sunny blue morning and highly focused writing energy. Today was grey and a distinct winter chill, but I love that too, your mind wanders to a different state. Maybe I had too much sunshine growing up, the brightness gets to me and it's been two summers in a row. Learning to wind back the intensity a little, after this last three weeks of demented out-there activity. It's such a relief to feel calm, not have that relentless desire to be out doing things, and finding a surprisingly cool green lake inside, that was never there before. Coming to terms with my ambition, but also realised this week that I need to try a lot less. Things will come to you. Be patient.

"We are in the midst of beauty, responding with joy."

Agnes Martin - from a lecture she gave in 1977 at the Hirshhorn Musuem and Sculpture Garden, although I just found that the actual quote which I have misremembered is

"We are in the midst of reality responding with joy", and continues

"It is an absolutely satisfying experience but extremely elusive. It is elusive because we must recognize so many other things at the same time.

The memory of past moments of joy leads us on. The responses of happiness and joy are our first concern.

Works of art have successfully represented our responses to reality from the beginning. The artist tries to live in a way that will make greater awareness of the sublimity of reality possible. Reality, the truth about life and the mystery of beauty are all the same and they are the first concern of everyone.

I want to emphasize the fact that we all have the same concern, but the artist must know exactly what the experience is. He must pursue the truth relentlessly. Once he sees this fact his feet are on the path. If you want to know the truth, you will know it. The manipulation of materials in artwork is a result of this state of mind. The artist works by awareness of his own state of mind." Agnes Martin

Sunday, September 23, 2007

4:05 PM
Posted by jodi rose

... and they all fall down

yes it has to crumble sometimes
the relentless optimism and high-octane energy
sunday morning with the wild roses in the sun
reflecting on the vagaries of fate and the human heart
wondering if this life I have created has room for anyone else
and does it read as too insane and freewheeling and crazy
to see all the gentleness and peace and intimacy I can offer
the stillness at the heart of cyclone jodi.... really, it is there
I promise! It just takes a little time and effort to reach it
but is well worth the journey.

and so continues my crash course in the mysteries of euro-gender politics... I learn something different each time, but man am I ready for this particular lesson to be OVER! 'please lord, let this one last'
in the words of the ultimate tragic heartache chanteuse edith piaf.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

4:44 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Took an audio stroll around Boston's Fort Point channel, fascinating area and beautifully produced sound walk. Hey, it's one way of being in two places at once. Katie sent me something about another project asking artists to write or make work about a city they weren't in... must find it.

Writing it up for a piece on viator travel blog, did I mention that already? If not, you can find (slighly) more coherent tales of adventure and mayhem across Europe this summer, than these rambling vignettes.

Had a meeting with the very fabulous Fotini at Program, about activities for next year, and then lay on the current installation for an hour or so. Like drifting in the clouds, get down there if you can!

Dropped in briefly to a very sceney art opening and decided I just wasn't in the mood, so headed home to another impromptu street bar with filip - my new sculptor friend who has signed on to build an impossible bridge with me - and various other residents stopping to say 'Hi!'. Met the sonoteknika (?) from upstairs, who had been doing sound for the popkomm conference talks, and greatly enjoyed one of the artist/presenters totally messing with the format, using the microphone to beatbox and not talk about ways of making more money out of music. Indeed. Met someone recently whose company uses mathematical formulae to predict hit songs, he promised to run some bridges through it for me, so I can see if the Golden Gate, the Brooklyn, or the Millennium are more likely to reach No. !. All of them most unlikely, but I find it a highly amusing mis-use of the idea.

Talking of underground sounds, made it along to Laurent's not-really-punk band at the newest gallery on brunnenstrasse - they are slowly creeping up the hill - and enjoyed a few minutes of ear-splitting audio assault before hanging out on the street, where the sound was a more gentle hum behind the glass windows. Nice scene though, lots of friends and noise artists there who I know from around/before, and more intense discussion about making a life with art and no compromise. Ended up having a nutella crepe at the cart on Eberswalder Strasse around 2am, chatting to the sweet young rock'n'roll boy who was there handing out fliers for 'death by pop' club. I of course imagined people bursting like soapbubbles in the club, one by one, as the frequency made their bones dissolve - kind of a mix of sympathetic resonance and spontaneous human combustion - but apparently it was a little more tame than that.

Gorgeous Saturday morning, dropped into the bakery round the corner (Seibert, and yes, as Seamus told me it really IS the best in Berlin); cycled up to Schonhauser Allee for supplies of various kinds, and then hung out in one of my local cafe's reading magazines - trashy and architectural (now there's a mix to think about) - then wandered through the park where I found this lovely overgrown wilderness rose garden. Am getting very fond of the people who hang out on the park benches, some older guys drinking, groups of teenagers - who incongruously enough were listening to some cheesy synth 80's pop last time I walked past, wish I could remember the song... parents with young kids catching the last of the warm days before they're confined to a tiny apartment for the long cold wet winter.

And yes, it's true, I also will be here for that winter. Looking forward to it in a perverse way, partly wardrobe related and the rest something about hibernation time, open fires, whisky. Realised this morning that the last six months has been a kind of limbo, that I think was a necessary process for detaching from parts of my old life and re-orienting myself to a new hemisphere. These last three weeks I feel like another person, a lot like the existing Jodi, but with new highlights, hidden tracks, and extra bonus features!! File under 'uncategorizable'. Having fun with it now, trying out new personas.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

7:16 PM
Posted by jodi rose

.... so I looked out the window and there's a church in my hof!!!

actually met the sculptor on monday, when I had a brief fragile moment - existential dilemma, artist's life, you know the story - and was talked down from the ledge by the wonderful joni, who told me that she was glad to hear I wasn't so optimistic and positive all the time. yes yes only human. Then it didn't last long, as my gorgeous Danish studio mate Sara bought me a halloumi kebap - and how can you question the wonder of the universe and creation when there is halloumi in it?!? It was a lovely warm night, at least ten degrees colder inside, so we sat out on the street chatting, and one of the neighbours smiled, then stopped on his way back and gave us beer. Turned out to be the maker of the church, a lovely young Dutch sculptor who works in scrap wood, and is part of a show opening next week, in a vacant lot at Friedrichstr. 111 'Blind Spots - Contemporary Art in Temporary Space'. Which I had already noted in my diary, but sounds like even more fun know I know the context and set-up.

Met up with Heike last night, and discovered she is interested in humour in architecture and public space. Perfect!! Building a nice group of people to talk and collaborate with. Went along to the old-time radio piece at tesla night, by dinah bird and friends, gorgeous.

Have managed to clarify some of the confusion around one of my jobs at least, now just need to manage my time and mental space. Although got lots done today, but haven't quite shifted gears back into my own creative process. It takes time, I guess. Doing my best not to be completely corrupted into this new Berlin life, but.....

you know I can resist anything except temptation!

Going back to check out the wonderful sound installations at the balhaus on Saturday before the concert - and finally rescued my bicycle where it was completely unharmed for almost a week. Nice having wheels again! Making a habit of going to almost everything I am invited to, but leaving time for rest and focus when nothing on. Which doesn't seem to happen often, may have to implement a stricter policy as time goes by. Still, enjoying meeting new friends and catching up with old ones, establishing a life here with many different layers and textures. All quite delicious.

Tonight is yet another Australian alternative folk singer at zentrale randlage, but they're closing down in a week, and hey, support local talent in berlin. Then Laurent's punk band are playing at some new gallery on Brunnenstr 43 on friday night, and Seamus just sent me the invite to a multi-apartment house party on Saturday which promises noise in the wohnzimmer and dancing in the cellar.

You know me, I'm only going to be part of your revolution if I can dance!!!

Monday, September 17, 2007

1:57 PM
Posted by jodi rose

ohmigod I am SO proud!! my 'little' brother and his band are releasing their debut EP. Lovely gentle indie garage folk pop with great intelligent fun lyrics. But then I am a bit biased...

Check out John Colombus and decide for yourself at the Factory in Marrickville, October 13 with Sui Zhen.

"Weaving together elements of classic 60s music and funelling it through a time-portal via Radiohead, Modest Mouse and Spoon, John Columbus is a band who love good music and make good music. John Columbus are lucky enough to have played with the Lucksmiths, Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers, Sui Zhen, The Small Hours and loads more. John Columbus have received airplay on FBi and on Triple J, as well as being partially exhumed by them, being made an Unearthed artist of the week. John Columbus are soon to release their first EP "The Toll", and are currently floating towards a venue in your town in a hot air balloon which is fueled by blurbs such as this one"

Just had a fabulously delirious email from Jacob, updating me on all his recent activities, from Copenhagen to Istanbul to Riga. Listen to the sounds from inside the ears of this prolific and talented sound artist, and be transported to another state. Stay tuned for details of our winter salon, meeting with like minds and souis to explore and share ideas about sound and perception in various forms.

Also had a lovely conversation with Sarah, who always takes life to a different plane, with a perfect mix of silliness and intelligence, applied to a multitude of topics which I can't go into here for confidentiality reasons... hers and mine. Beautiful advice about learning to dance, the idea of intention and gentleness, and removing resistance to move towards openess. Removing walls to move towards sunshine right now!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

9:03 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Met a fine selection of the Berlin music scene on Friday at the Interface 07 concert, some of whom may or may not also have been involved in karaoke at an undisclosed location. Had to abandon my bicycle, still haven't made the trip back to Kreuzberg to pick it up. Project total immersion going well so far. Went to a fantastic artist talk by Edith Dekyndt at program, where I will be doing a residency next year. Gorgeous, poetic video work exploring various physical phenomena - my favourite was the two day train trip to somewhere in canada in order to film a bottle exploding.

Slight shift in the everyday, and endless curiosity. Also a wonderful conceptualisation of non-linear time, 'rumour works' and the blurring of distinctions between past/present/future, actual/concept/imaginary.

Met up with Jasmine this afternoon for some sunshine in the park, watched the kids playing ping pong at helmholtz platz, ideas simmering for projects and musical collaboration. Have I mentioned lately that I love my life?!!!! We talked a few months ago about how it's possible to live here in a way that is totally dedicated to music and creativity, and not leave that bubble if you don't want to. Don't waste your time making money, she said, just do what you love.

Friday, September 14, 2007

6:22 PM
Posted by jodi rose

The Australian Architecture Exhibition at DAZ nearly killed me. Not the show, or the architects, but the wine and cycling home. Lucky my Guardian Angel is still hovering around, it seems. Chatted with Detlef, who showed me his two favourite buildings - both denton corker marshall concrete bunkers - and explained it was because you couldn't immediately imagine who would live there, tucked into the hillside. And one was a working sheep farm. Then Miriam and Maria, gossip about the art scene, always juicy; and a lovely rambling conversation with Axl and his partner, tasting the orangina and hearing about their very cool work with tanzen hilfen, putting on dance parties and giving the money to charity.

The freelance research training seems to be going well, although I hate not being able to do something perfectly first time. Yes, and there's a lot of that these days. Still, learnt to make polygons in google earth, and had a very high-tech teleconferencing call and screencast. Did I already mention that? Sometimes I don't know if I've written something here, or in a personal email, or if it was all a dream. Having a lovely dreamy day immersing myself in the sounds of gold dust. Gorgeous.

Feeling much better aligned after a quick visit to the hot gay bicycle boys in Lychener Strasse, who fitted new pedals for me and fixed a few of the many loose screws for only 8 euro. No more squeaking and rattling as I ride, although one of those super-sexy gel seats is next on the list. And a proper lock. All in good time. Still, it's nice to resurrect something that was on the edge of destruction.

Now, time to get in hot water, have another conference call and then career wildly down the hill to the Balhausnaunyn for opening of Interface 2007, Music, Speed and Space - Los Angeles to Berlin, with a concert by super-famous seventies space rock band Cluster, and an installation in tribute to Alvien Lucier, called 'I am shitting in a room'. Nice to see some sound art with a sense of humour!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

12:08 PM
Posted by jodi rose

So there I was at the Brandenburg Gate, wandering amongst strangers, randomly hugging them. All part of the art. Gao Brothers, who were blacklisted in China and unable to leave their country for 14 years, and now travel the world performing this hugging theatre. Gorgeous. At first people were a little shy, but once the barrier of physical contact with a complete stranger had been broken a few times, it got easier to initiate and receive the hugs. Some people remained a little awkward and uncomfortable, others threw themselves into each embrace wholeheartedly. When the group hug started, there were more photographers than huggers, but eventually enough people joined in to create a gigantic hugging snake, which generated an amazing energy of emotional warmth and closeness.
Delicious. Truly one of the most transformative art projects I have ever experiences, suffused with goodwill and charmed by the world afterwards. Similar to the Spencer Tunick nuding up with 5,000 strangers one melbourne winter morning, but more interactive.

Talking with a friend later that night, who is literally falling apart from trying to hold this crazy nomadic solo life together, and how emotional stress or loneliness affects you physically. Reflecting on how there just isn't the cultural space to find affection and sensuality without it being necessarily romantic, sexual or having free-love overtones. Guess that's what drives people together, the desire for intimacy, but how contained it all seems when you can only express that with particular people in specific circumstances. Ways to overcome social boundaries.

The Utopia of 20 Minutes Embrace

A mass embrace between strangers orchestrated by performance artists, the Gao Brothers, and Stephan Hausmeister at Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, let us hug each other. Ok?'

World Hug Day, Berlin

The latest chapter of my life is vaguely hilarious, have two new jobs as of yesterday, both excellent freelance work with varying challenges and perks. Social geography and high-tech virtual conferencing - am so modern, as emer would say - and uber-hip music related gig. Sweet.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

1:41 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Life in berlin just gets better every day.

It feels so good to have made the decision to be here, and know that everything can evolve in it's own direction and pace. Such a luxury to not be running around fitting every interaction into a schedule. Of course there are moments in between the high-octane art-music-social whirl but they pass easily enough with a little distraction. Have reclaimed my orange bicycle from the josetti hofe, it's the latest in a long line of disreputable transport I've ridden in Europe this summer. Possibly the worst of the lot, and the only one I paid for. The pedals started falling off almost immediately, and are now held together with masking tape, while all three screws on the back rack-thing are lost, and tied on with string. Mika tells me there is some uber-cool berlin thing about having a really crappy bike but extremely expensive paniers.

We met on Linienstrasse when I was ecaping one of the art scene moments, it was fine for an hour but more than that and my brain melts - trekked up casting alley to the stadtbad oderbergerstrasse. exhibition and archive, such an incredible space. quite excited about it being renovated to baths again, and can't wait for a sauna there. Then met Goetz, who asked - but are they good or bad, the people doing it? I don't know, the politics of the berlin architecture scene, depends on who you ask I guess. Missed the latest australian sound art gig as we all went back to his place for red wine and trashy conversation.

Signed up to do sound with Mika on a project he has going, and working on the multi-faceted plan for Berlin art-music-architecture assimilation and complete immersion. To which end I have three exhibition openings to attend, two gigs... and even more exciting new and fun things unfurling which you will have to wait for more details.

Even living with no hot water is fun - you're so punk, jo - joni told me tonight when I went over to get into some of hers ;) and it's the complete opposite of last time, when the bath was the ony redeeming feature. at least now I have a great location, plenty of space, some nice norwegian and danish artists to hang out with at home, and just feeling like it's my own place in the world. My god what luxury. Guess people search for that their whole lives in some ways, here I am so lucky to have found it with one simple landing. Makes me smile.

In fact, everything is so damn delicious tonight that I'm going to sleep just so I can dream up more beautiful adventures. Good night xxxxx jr

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

11:55 PM
Posted by jodi rose

conversation overheard by jasmine at zentrale randlage australian music gig last night:

'Jodi Rose is here!'
'Who is Jodi Rose?'
'Just another random Australian in Berlin...'

and so it goes.
the funny thing is that was the exact same phrase I had been using about some of the familiar faces who turned up unexpectedly.

someone just wrote to me and said:
'You write a lot. When do you sleep?'

I write in my sleep, baby.

Well, practically. I'm always making notes in those moments just before you drift off and while you're waking up, so lucid and febrile.

Landed at 5pm on Saturday, with the feeling that everything is going to work out just fine. Laughed when the baggage carousel started turning - well, I guess someone's luggage has to be out first ;)

Stopped to drop-off bags and have a cuppa tea with Joni, she ran me a bath to freshen up before the evening. Made it to five out of the six art gallery openings on the one block of Brunennstrasse, including a sculpture show curated by Amy, another random australian I know from Glasgow. Gorgeous sound piece, with two sets of headphones on either side of a column, and black script reading 'keep us together/tear us apart'. A woman's voice on one side, and man's on the other, humming the relevant songs (love, love will tear us apart. again..../...and let love keep us together). Perfect.

Feel I have started Berlin life with genuine demonstration of my new commitment to art career. That and almost entirely black wardrobe. Just a shade of charcoal and hint of pinstripe here and there. Blend in.

Very crazy night at Torben's party, definitely worth flying back for. Endless dance floor antics, wildly diverse dj's, mist in the wohnung, feast and fabulousness. Stayed until 5pm the next day, long recovery breakfast then wandered up to meet seamus and friends in the mauer park. New abode in studio of dr.nexus, at the wedding end of pberg.

I love that. Things just falling into place. Had one of those suddenly intense and personal conversations with one of the artists who has a studio here, sitting out the front on our bench in the sun. Then seven hot french men arrived on holiday, some of them staying upstairs. Down to six after the first night, one with a broken shoulder sent home. Nice Norwegian artists in the studio next door, and some Irish drop-ins this evening. Very international, the high ratio of australians in town notwithstanding. Berlin music tomorrow night, then art opening friday, and saturday out to a schloss in potsdam for performance evening. Just enough time to keep the wheels turning on this art machine in between. That's all part of the game. Played with some sounds from Bangkok, almost ready to start work on a new piece. First time in months I've actually listened to a bridge. Nice.

Ok, lucid moments over, back to the haze of sleep and sound.
Welcome to your new life. It's good to be here!