Berlin’s attraction on Canadian artists.

Due to the Corona situation, the cultural world is suffering greatly. But if there is a place where one can hope it will come back, flourish and rejoice again, it is here in Berlin, it is here in Germany.

Over the years with the DKG I discovered many Canadian artists regularly coming to Germany and even choosing to establish themselves on this side of the continent. Berlin is picked by many of them as a residence. What is it with Germany that creative people don’t find anywhere else?

It is a combination of many different factors. First there is the geographical situation. From Germany or Berlin it is very easy to get to other European cities or even to travel the world. The costs of living in Berlin (for the moment anyway) are lower than other capital cities. There are (in „normal“ times) numerous festivals and galleries. Also, Berlin is cosmopolitan. Its rich history is also a contributing factor. Many international movies or series are filmed in Berlin. The whole world meets here and so there is an audience for all kinds of artistry. Generally speaking, Germans are seen as very supportive and interested in arts.

Here is an excerpt of our interview with the artist Nika Fontaine that sums it up beautifully: „Berlin is like a harbour for creative people, it might be for short or long-term but everyone ends up passing by. So, living there allows oneself to develop a network of inspirational colleagues from all over the world. The cultural offer from classical to contemporary art, either visual, musical or performative is humongous and accessible. The rich history of avant-garde combined with its physical destruction granted space and acceptance to creative endeavours while still remaining affordable. In that sense, the geographic, demographic and economic situation made of Berlin the perfect playground for artists.“

There are many wonderful Canadian artists to be discovered in Germany (residents and otherwise). If you would like us to interview someone in particular or if you would just like to share someone’s work with us, let us know. The German-Canadian Association likes to support Canadian culture where we can.