Hey A.R.Kers!
Long time no see! So I hope you can forgive the break…A.R.K. is here, just not in Claremont anymore. As I write this post, the delicious sound of thunder is singing to me, and I am currently in my apartment in a high-rise in Munich…yes, Munich, Germany. Deutschland. And Annie, fellow partner in crime, is in Morocco (but I’ll let her tell you about that another time!) And the other A.R.K.ers…well, you’ll just have to guess ; )
Before coming to Munich, I was able to visit some friends and family in Berlin. And while Berlin is famous for its street-art, especially more traditional spray-graffiti, I was pleasantly surprised to see yarn graffiti on the rise! I thought I would share some of what I found with you all…
Along the Spree in Berlin
This particular yarn bomb was to promote sustainable water use! A.R.K. is a big fan of craftivism (combining the art of yarn bombing and activism!), and though the Spree is beautiful on its own, the piece definitely added warmth and much needed color to the railing!
Here is a close up of one of the tags:
Tag for Water
The tag basically says, water means life! Every drop counts! It also says how many “Lebensfaden” this person spun. This is a really beautiful term in German…meaning something like, “threads of life.” Now that I think of it, they really are threads of life- yarn-bombing allows for a space to be reclaimed, and it takes on a life of its own. The yarn is living, interacting not only with the space itself, but also with the people and souls who are touched by it (literally and metaphorically!)
Here are some more “Lebensfaden”, maybe not as seemingly impressive, but still made me pause, and smile.
Unexpected Lebensfaden
This particular yarn-bomb was in my old neighborhood in Berlin, and even though it is a small piece, it definitely brightened my day (and the pole’s day!)
I haven’t seen any yarn graffiti in Munich so far, or much street art at all for that matter, but I have a rather strong feeling that that is about to change…very soon (wink wink!)
So where in the world are you? Share with us! I want to know, have you seen any cool street art or yarn graffiti lately? Tell us in the comments! And if you can, send a photo of it to stricken4macht@gmail.com! We’d like to feature it on our blog as well.
Peace and Liebe Grüße,
Rosie