In 2003 mayor Klaus Wowereit dubbed Berlin "poor, but sexy." Berlin’s surge in sexiness is undoubtedly due to the artists and art curious drawn to Berlin by low rents and large studio spaces.

There are tons of art galleries and art events to satisfy even the most culture rapacious traveler. I’ll skip the museums because you can get that in any guide book….

Auguststraße

Auguststraße is the heart of Berlin’s Mitte scene. It is home to a number of Berlin’s established commercial galleries. Kunst-Werke, an old mayonnaise factory cum art museum and studio program is a must see. After taking in some contemporary art head down the block to Ballhaus Mitte and sample kaffee und kuchen in their outdoor courtyard. Be sure to check out the entropic, old-school ballroom on the second floor before you leave. Often DJs and caterers will be setting up private parties and blasting hip hop and modern rock. It’s jarring to say the least.

Brunnenstraße

Once the rents began to climb in the Auguststraße area the younger folks headed to Brunnenstraße. Brunnenstraße boasts an array of experimental and artist run spaces in addition to a number of commercial galleries. Artnews Projects, Nice and Fit, and Curators Without Borders are definitely worth a visit. Take the U-Bahn to Rosenthaler Platz and stroll from there.

United Nations Plaza
United Nations Plaza was started by a group of artists including Anton Vidokle, Martha Rosler, and Liam Gillick. They call themselves an “exhibition as school” and host art seminars, lectures, and performances. All admission is free and if you’re lucky you’ll be treated to beer or vodka and snacks.

Badeschiff
Badeschiff is a design geeks dream…it’s a swimming pool, night club, and spa fashioned out of old shipping containers on the banks of the Spree. It’s a popular destination for locals to sip cocktails and people watch. There are Wednesday night yoga classes through the summer for 5 euros.

Links

Kunst-Werke http://www.kw-berlin.de/english/set_index.htm

Clärchens Ballhaus aka Ballhaus Mitte http://www.ballhaus.de/

United Nations Plaza http://www.unitednationsplaza.org/

Badeschiff http://www.arena-berlin.de/badeschi...t=Badeschiff