Installments

Installment #7: Capitalism By Heather Klar

Dear all,

Karl-Marx-Allee – pride of the former GDR, phenomenon of postmodernist architecture in the East of Berlin, and background for the experiment that kma71 has been for the past 10 months – the street has seen it all: parades in celebration of the socialist state and in opposition to its regime, tiles falling off the facades of the buildings after the fall of the wall, and a new wave of international real estate companies buying flats and changing the alley into a place for new luxury living while its former residents try to keep up with their habits and traditions against all odds. In the light of this new mix of life forms in that sociotope close to Alexanderplatz that never really achieved its wished-for status of a shopping mile after 1989, but risks to become a boulevard of vintage furniture shops, we are asking throughout June for a new definition of “Völkerverständigung”.

Where Marx meets Max Mara, where one last butcher serving Soljanka is outnumbered by Foodora bikers, and where Café Sibylle is no longer with us, but the Döner on Straße-der-Pariser-Kommune still shines strong as it is the only place to grab a bite after falling out of Berghain on a Sunday morning – we are celebrating it both: capitalist cravings and socialist phantom pain. Because who are we kidding: We are all in this together.

Heather Klar, a fashion designer, who lives and works in New York City, but flies all over the world to perform her second profession called “graphic recording” (meganotesandfriends.com) has been invited to do her magic at kma71 and present her own interpretation of US-brand capitalism in regard to the history of the neighborhood of Karl-Marx-Allee. She has invited other creative friends who live and work in the United States to contribute to Installment #7: Capitalism By Heather Klar. The show features fashion, design, photography, graphic recording and performance by Sapphire Jones, Jarrett Brandon, Ryan Brandolo, Kelly Kingman, Eli Klar, Bit Klar, Eric Kruszewski, Jason McKoy, Margaret Grace Mills, Fernando Orellana, Sara Jane Tantillo, and Minnie Tonka.

The show opens with a “Spaziergang” down Karl-Marx-Allee headed by Heather Klar and Sapphire Jones and invites the neighborhood to walk with us: We meet at 3.30 pm at kma71 and walk towards Frankfurter Tor – we then make a u-turn and walk back towards Alexanderplatz via Strausberger Platz – we then take a round on Alexanderplatz and return to kma71 where the show opens at 7 pm with refreshments and drinks.

You are cordially invited to join us for the “Spaziergang” down Karl-Marx-Allee and the opening of Capitalism by Heather Klar at kma71 on June 1st! We are very much looking forward to have you, discuss, laugh and enjoy summer in Berlin!

Heather & Anne

Photography: Alberto Ferrero