Categories
GUEST EDITOR

From The Desk Of M. Ward: Tempelhof Park, Berlin, Germany

M. Ward: When I finished my first record back in 2000, the first European companies to support my music were based in Brussels (62TV) and Paris (Le Disque Mange Tout). So I spent a lot of time traveling around western Europe playing music and trying to learn French, but also finding time to play le touriste américain. I feel fortunate that I’ve had the time to see some of the greatest museums and public spaces in the world. They have blown my mind too many times to mention.

Tempelhofer

Ward: From the p.o.v. of a lowly tourist (me), the whole city of Berlin now seems to be a huge symbol of what cities could look like in a post-war universe. And nowhere symbolizes this better than at Tempelhof Park: an old airport runway designed for troops that has been turned into a massive massive pubic space. My first experience was on the first warm day of spring—and it seemed the perfect place to do nothing; or if you change your mind, do something down a runway: skate, run, pull your kid on a tricycle, buy a coffee and hazelnut wafer from a Händler on a bike. And half a mile away in every direction: little clusters of people from all over the world—appearing no larger than Lego families flying kites.

Video after the jump.