TACHELES

Our alternative tour of the city also led us to Tacheles, a place we had already hoped to see but believed it no longer possible.

Tacheles, as mentioned in a previous post, once housed many artists who squatted in the empty building at the end of the cold war. These people decided to use the space in an incredible way with workshops allowing them to produce art along with a night club and a cinema. Meaning "straight talking" Tacheles was a symbol of freedom and the collective residing there held their ground until September 2012, 22 years later, when they were finally forced to leave.

Our tour guide led us around the back of the building to a metal sculpture workshop which remains open despite desperate attempts of surrounding it with fencing to stop the public from knowing it is there. The sculptor allowed us to look around and we all happily left donations in exchange for the great pictures we got of his work. I massively regret not being able to get a clear shot at the Banksy and Robbo pieces side by side on the far wall however!