Astrid Hiemer
Bio:
A cultural critic and writer, Astrid grew up after WW II in Hamburg, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in the 1960s. She was formerly the assistant director (Administrative Officer) of the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT under Otto Piene, with whom she has worked in the past several years editing, translating, and researching for a major book about his life and career. While at The Center she knew and worked with many multi-media artists. In addition to professional work as an editor and translator she is also a poet, and writer of fiction. Most of her written work is accompanied by her own photographs.
Recent Articles:
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Udder Madness Word
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Tourist Trapp Word
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Stowe Away Word
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Horseshoe Crabs Front Page
Dying Living Fossils
By: - Dec 13th, 2017An intimate photo-series about Horseshoe Crabs, washed ashore, and a short essay in poetry form highlight our wold-wide situation, known as 'Climate Change,' and its consequences.
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The Roads of North America - Part 6 Front Page
San Francisco Bay and Sausalito Houseboats
By: - Sep 14th, 2017This is our second article from the San Francisco area and continuation of The Roads of North America. More than 50 photographs accompany this report. The views along the Bay and other discoveries are well worth seeing - no doubt!
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Centerbeam at ZKM/Karlsruhe, Germany Front Page
Exhibition and Symposium until October 1st
By: - Aug 11th, 2017The exhibition to celebrate 'Centerbeam’s' 40 th anniversary has been open since mid May in Karlsruhe. On September 2nd ZKM will host ten representatives of the original participants on location or via skype. The symposium should deliver lively discussions of the past and perhaps a way forward to recreate 'Centerbeam,' a third time, in the near future.
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The Roads of North America – Part 5 Front Page
Sketch: Cruising the Golden Gate Bridge
By: - Jul 19th, 2017Picking up this series after some time, we are continuing with reports about our travels in North America. We flew to San Francisco to attend a theater conference and to discover the city once again, followed by visits to Muir Woods and California’s wine country. There will be other sketches drawn from different locations and events. Here my personal photo-perspective of the Golden Gate Bridge, arguably the most famous bridge in the USA.
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Centerbeam of CAVS/MIT Reintroduced at ZKM Front Page
40 Years Post documenta 6 at Kassel, Germany
By: - Jun 03rd, 2017The exhibition: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of 'Centerbeam,' A Performative Sculpture by CAVS, can be seen at ZKM, Karlsruhe/Germany, until October 1st. The museum is also presenting in an adjacent gallery Aldo Tambellini’s, 'Black Matters.' He was one of the 21 artists, who participated in the spectacular, collaborative and participatory outdoor sculpture.
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WOW at Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Mssachusetts Front Page
What a World of Wearable Art
By: - May 10th, 2017A recommendation for the Peabody Essex Museum to see particularly the special exhibition 'WOW' came in an understated manner, or I just did not pick up quickly enough what a delight the show would represent. We drove to Salem from Gloucester, where we were visiting, on a rainy and miserable afternoon and that made our day!
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Cape Cod - After the Storm Front Page
Total Fog at Ocean's Edge
By: - Apr 22nd, 2017While spending time near an Ocean in the USA or Europe, as well as Africa, I have always been drawn to the beach after a storm, while rough weather and high waves were still present. So did I venture recently onto a beach in North Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in stormy weather and took these accompanying photographs.
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Maxim Gorki Theatre, Berlin: Winterreise Front Page
'Trip in Winter' by New Group: Exil
By: - Apr 11th, 2017The Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin continues to present issues that reflect the 'now and how' of living circumstances in present day Berlin. The newly founded theatre group Exil will be part of the Gorki ensemble for two years, where it will create theatre events in dialogue with their own sensibilities. 'Winterreise' (Trip in Winter) on April 8th, by the in-house Israeli director Yael Ronen, presented the first project with seven actors and actresses, who cannot perform in their home countries of Syria, Palestine and Afghanistan.
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67th Berlinale, 2017 Front Page
Feb 9-19, Berlin, Germany
By: - Feb 21st, 2017This year's Berlinale from February 9 - 19, 2017, started with high expectations and ended in a lukewarm acceptance of choices the international jury of seven presented at the Berlinale Palace on February 18. Although the jury made their selections only from the 18 submissions for the big prizes - the Golden Bear and seven Silver Bears in the Competition - it is this section that counts. The Competition is the heart and center of this huge international film festival that also turns every year into a film-viewing orgy for around 4000 critics as well as for a huge number of highly motivated moviegoers.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC Front Page
A Visual Journey Through History
By: - Dec 18th, 2016President Barack Obama officially opened the National Museum of African American History and Culture on September 24, 2016, on the Washington Mall. It is actually the 19th Smithsonian Museum. My daughter Olivia and I got up early on a December day, to stand in line for one of the circa 100 free daily tickets. Otherwise, tickets can be reserved online months in advance. The short text and extensive photo essay convey our experiences.
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Foreign Affairs 2016 in Berlin, Germany Front Page
A Commentary
By: - Aug 01st, 2016"Foreign Affairs," the international performing arts festival at the Berliner Festspiele is history, literally. This year's festival was the last one of its five-year run. The last three years were under the artistic leadership of Matthias von Hartz and brought ever-expanding public involvement and an increasingly frenetic search for innovative alternatives to theater practices at large. Here is an overview and musings about the final festival as named.
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First Berkshire Mountains Faerie Fest in Adams, MA Front Page
A Family Day Built Around Fun and Fantasy, June 25
By: - Jun 28th, 2016While looking into the concept of Faerie or Fairy Festivals, one might discover that there are quite a number of such events happening each year all over America. 'The Faerie Festival Bug' hit six months ago in the town of Adams, MA, among a group of believers, at the Adams Arts Advisory Board. They enlisted many participants, word spread quickly among like-minded fantasy lovers, and here is the result in photos and report of the First Berkshire Mountains Faerie Festival.
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The Maxim Gorki Theater - Berlin, Germany Front Page
Small But Look-Out!
By: - Jun 20th, 2016The Maxim Gorki Theater is situated in the center of Berlin, just off the boulevard 'Unter den Linden.' Since 2013, after a change in directors, 'The Gorki ' has again become a most vital forum for current socio-political and humanistic themes and plays. We are discussing here some on the 2016 playlist.
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Journey to Hamburg, Germany: Part Two Front Page
Not Just a Family Affair – in English and German
By: - Apr 26th, 2016The second article begins with our Family Reunion on Easter Monday, which nearly 40 people from 11 families attended. What a festive affair and the three hour brunch just flew by. The meeting ended with a new official family photo. ~ For the remainder of our week we explored the city again, downtown Hamburg, where we kids grew up. Even then, the city was a wonderful playground.
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Journey to Hamburg, Germany - Part One Front Page
A Family Affair and Much More - English/German
By: - Apr 17th, 2016We set off on a 10 day trip to Hamburg, Germany, from two airports: Albany and Washington, D.C. and arrived per schedules - what a relief. Our hosts came with two cars to transport us all to Ahrensburg, in southern Schleswig-Holstein, just outside of Hamburg, my home town. Nearly 40 family members met on Easter-Monday in Hamburg for a family reunion, which we orchestrated from North Adams, MA. What a wonderful experience! We ventured into Hamburg a few times per U-Bahn, subway transportation. The city always shows its best side to visitors, even sometimes in the rain. On our first trip into the city we were enthralled to see the 'Miniatur Wunderland,' the biggest railway system exhibition there is. Here an account of our adventures in English and German.
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Sand and Seas - Part Two Front Page
Reflections and Anticipation
By: - Mar 07th, 2016Sand and Seas - Part One found hundreds of viewers and readers. What delight! We are offering in Part Two long views and nearly abstract images and textures that oceans and beaches offer to a keen eye and a camera lense.
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Othello after William Shakespeare by Soeren Voima Front Page
Maxim Gorki Theater, Berlin
By: - Mar 01st, 2016The small Gorki Theater in Berlin will be honored on May 15, 2016 with the prestigious Theaterpreis (Theatre Price) for its innovative and daring plays. The current production of 'Othello' offers one such performance. Shakespeare's play was adapted by Soeren Voima.
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Sand and Seas – Part One Front Page
A Summer Tale for Winter Days
By: - Feb 29th, 2016It takes time to collect and develop a photo project. The subject may have spooked around my head for days, weeks, perhaps months. The raw material are thousands of digital photographs, which include the subject matter at hand. Then questions arise: What is there to work from? What do I want to say? What can I show? How many images do I need to convey my ideas? Too many sub-categories for one essay? Yes! So, please peruse the first part of 'Sand and Seas.'
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Berlinale 2016 Front Page
Another Blockbuster Film Festival
By: - Feb 22nd, 2016Berlin just concluded the February 11 - 21, 2016 Berlinale by presenting 434 international films and more than 300.000 tickets were sold. Perhaps for the first time, a documentary film received the most coveted Golden Bear, 'Fuocoammare,' by Gianfranco Rosi. A thread of 'the right to happiness' was woven into the selection of movies, as there were also most serious subject matters in 15 categories. Two demanded much of the audience, time wise: They were 8 and 11 hours long.
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Rimini Protokoll's Adolf Hitler: Mein Kampf Front Page
At Berlin's Hebbel Am Ufer from Jan. 7 - 10
By: - Jan 11th, 2016Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' had not been newly published in Germany post WWII. As of December 31, 2015 Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' has been in the public domain and on January 7th, the Institute for Contemporary History in Munich published a two volume scholarly edition with approximately 3700 notes on 2000 pages. The first 5000 volumes have been sold out with 1500 pre-orders already booked. Also from January 7th to January 10th Rimini Protokoll presented its first performance of 'Adolf Hitler: Mein Kampf, Band 1 & 2' at the theatre complex of Hebbel Am Ufer in Berlin to sold out audiences.
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Will There Ever be Peace? Word
My Response to Erika Marquardt's Book
By: - Dec 14th, 2015On December 1st BFA published an article, or call it a review of Erika Marquardt's book, 'Memories of a War to Come: A German Girl Growing Up in the 2nd World War.' It ends with a poem, my own response to Erika's poetry and collages of life-long lasting war memories:
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Memories of a War to Come by Erika Marquardt Front Page
A German Girl Growing Up in the 2nd World War
By: - Dec 01st, 2015Do all, who have experienced war first-hand respond differently, perhaps more knowingly to images, reports and articles, now inundating the air waves about current wars, notably in Syria and Iraq? So very timely is the poetry and picture book by Erika Marquardt, which I received recently. And what a book it is! Her WW II childhood memories have haunted her all her life and she has written poems and painted pictures and collages for decades. Marquardt now collected those memories eloquently in her 2015 published book, which deserves a wide reception and circulation. Will there ever be PEACE?!
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