SARS-CoV-2 unter dem Elektronenmikroskop. NIAID-RML (CC BY 2.0). Direct source: RiffReporter.
Since Februar 2020
Covid-19: Ein Virus bedroht die Welt
RiffReporter
There are many reasons to read RiffReporter, a “lively quality journalism” cooperative project in German language. The one I want to write about today is one of their thematic series of articles – they call them “Korallen” (corals) – focused on the Covid-19 pandemic. We are all experiencing a strange and difficult situation, many of us spend a lot of time reading about it, trying to make sense of data (and the way they were collected, visualized, and commented), constantly stumbling on contradictory stories and opinions, endlessly discussing (or fighting, or silently cursing) on social media. RiffReporter is based on sound and ethical journalistic principles and practices collected in their codex (www.riffreporter.de/kodex). It is not a news website, you’ll find there short essays, comments and reports focused on central concepts, specific countries, current hot topics, and more. To me, RiffReporter represents, now more than ever, a special and precious reading space, rich of inspiring and interesting information and free of arrogance, hateful speech, or hasty conclusions. N.B.: Also good to train your German!
www.riffreporter.de/corona-virus/
Since 8 May 2020
Eierlikoer/egg liqueur – A Performance by Karl Heinz Jeron and Christine Kriegerowski
Vimeo
I admit I was skeptical about the level of enjoyment and fun I could reach with the streaming or filmed events thing, but this video totally changed my mind. It also nails down some feelings and thoughts I have had about the whole pandemic situation, and that I’m otherwise quite unable to express in words. It’s just one minute and a half long, so I will not spoil it, just watch it.
vimeo.com/416269317
Since 2017
Herbaria 3.0
Website and sharing platform
“Everyone has a story to tell about a plant. What’s yours?” I’m currently quite obsessed with plants and gardens – more about that later, I just mention it here to better explain the presence of Herbaria 3.0 – an online collection of stories about plants written and shared by users, and of other resources for plant lovers and plant studies – in this playlist. The very diverse and rich archive features wild carrots, Strelitzia reginae, serviceberry, Venus fly trap, lilacs, and many more. You may just read, or also write and share your own contribute. They recently started a stay-at-home stories section, I will quote from one of them: “My brother ate a bug from the garden, then he went to the hill in the backyard and tried to fly.”
herbaria3.org
From Monday, May 4, 5 pm CEST, until Sunday, May 24, 2020, 11 pm CEST
Screening II. With video works by Candice Breitz, Lia Perjovschi, Tomas Schmit, Hito Steyerl.
Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.) website / Vimeo
Some more online culture: n.b.k. is presenting a selection of video works recently added to the n.b.k. Video-Forum collection. I can’t and don’t want to write proper art reviews, but here some hints: experimental theater and performance old-school vibes in Romania (Lia Perjovschi), a visual grammar made by constellations of shapes and words in Liniestrasse, Berlin Mitte (Tomas Schmit), a roller-coaster ride in the dirty economy and production processes of the art world (Hito Steyerl). I really loved the story of the twins getting a nose job together in Candice Breitz’s video (I have a big nose, but no twin).
www.nbk.org/en/diskurs/videoforumneuerwerbungen2019screening2.html