Post Titled: I (Heart) Berlin. (and More Lachapelle stuff)

I got another call: a time and an address to be at if I wanted to work, so 9 am on SaturdayI went to the Postfuhramt, a huge old (East German?) complex with a maze-like interior and an inner dome in a central tower. Inside was a Karl Lagerfeld photo exhibit and two huge halls (one with the dome and another an ancient "Turnhalle" with crumbling plaster, praint and huge stains and holes in the wall/paper everywhere. The place was completely transhed and stank like crazy when we arrived but a crew of Russians cleaned it within an hour or so...
Over the next 13 hours we completely transformed the space to hold the Lachapelle afterparty for the opening of his show at the Hemut Newton Fouindation. This was different that the show I hung the other night above the PUMA flagship store in Hachischen Höfe three days ago, gotta check it out. Apparently there are three exhibits around town at the moment? no idea. Anyhow, when the workday was over we were already in the building (past all the tight security) so most of the crew just hung around an attended the event thus bypassing the need for an invitation, etc. to get in. I think we did this subconscioúsly- dragging the project out until even AFTER the party started so we could stay and drink free booze as an army of models, corporate sponsor-richies, elites and photographers/artists arrived by the hundreds.
I met many interesting folks, including a guy named Justus from a band called Love as Laughter, who I only met because of the insanely long bathroom lines, adn the slowness of the urinators. I proudly finished in 15 seconds pronouncing "Hah, edpedia'd that- no, that's a website..." "Yea it is!" and we romped around for the next few hours, finding his friend who had arrived off the plane from Vancouver with €30 in his pocket five months ago, squatted and was now a photographer who was invited by the big-lipped blonde woman in the banners..

Anyhow, this was all very unbelievable... I was dead tired afterwards, returning homw on my broke-ass bike, explaining things to Nadine (who I'de been frantically texting: "Come HERE, dress chique and bring me a suit jacket!" then and hour later "Never mind, too late - secutirt is too tight." She had take a nap so missed them, but later saif my favorite quote of the day:
"I am not some VIP bitch."
This party basically put any party or wedding I've ever seen to shame. Iäm guessing it cost at least somewhere between €150,000-€200,000... what can I say... Justus took a bunch of fotos, so maybe he'll send them but for now all I have is the MORNING AFTER images (when we returned the next morning, the place was trashed. the 20-foot-tall tipi made out of 80 or so blow-up dolls had been ripped to schreds, ther were empty bottles of everything everywhere and I even found the guest list amongst the rubble.

On a side note I am feeling level-headed these days. In Seattle I was on-edge, unhappy with my life in many ways and just going in circles of angry frustration. Here I am generally calm and in a good mood,... I don't know why exactly... It may have something to do with my stereotypical theory that America is uncomfortable in its own skin, cut-throat and really only a good place to live if you desire to be rich and/or famous and are willing to work yourself to an earlier grave... of course that is a pessimistic view, and there are many things I think that the USA does better than anywhere else, i.e. write, create, report, etc. Germany may not be nearly as creative or crazy but it is just more lax and overall,,, more human... my father seems to be convinced that Europe is the Titanic, I -on the other hand- think that America is aspiring to become the Hindenberg... I guess only time will tell.