Germany Prepares to Get Wild Yet Arty
Published 02/01/2010
(Berlin, Germany) – Deutschland is gearing up for a series of high profile events this year that will run the gamut from wild and crazy to creative and cerebral.
One of the biggies is right around the corner – Germany’s own version of Mardi Gras.
From February 11 to 15, Carnival reigns in Germany. "Fasching," "Fasnacht" or "Karneval" are all terms used to describe carnival. It is an ancient tradition which started out as the last feast before the abstinence period leading to Easter, which is celebrated all over Germany but particularly in the Rhineland and in the strongly Catholic regions of Germany including Mainz, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Bonn and the Black Forest.
Customs differ from region to region, but it always involves wacky or traditional costumes, parades and celebrations. The "fifth season" of Carnival actually begins on November 11 and ends on Ash Wednesday, each year. Carnival season reaches its peak in February with the parades and celebrations on Rose Monday (February 15) and ends two days later on Ash Wednesday. www.germany.travel
On the more brainy side, Germany is world famous for its cutting edge innovations and design. “Creative Germany” today is more than ever a center for new developments in fashion, art and design. Some of the most innovative and inspiring fairs and events 2010 are held in Germany and invite the world of artists, professionals and spectators.
February 12 -16: Ambiente in Frankfurt am Main is the world's biggest consumer goods exhibition and it features a fantastic array of products, new ideas and trends in dining, living and giving. Visitors to the trade fair can also see the works nominated for the Germany’s Design Award. http://ambiente.messefrankfurt.com
April 21 - 25: The Art Cologne has evolved into Germany’s major art fair and is one of the world-wide highlights in terms of contemporary art and new ideas. About 180 galleries from Germany and around the world present modern classics, post-war art and contemporary art. Art Cologne offers an exciting mixture from painting, sculpture, installations, video art to photography. www.artcologne.com
June 9 - 13: With more than 550 designers from over 30 nations, the DMY International Design Festival Berlin has grown into the largest product design festival in Germany. It is one of the most important international platforms for creative, experimental and forward thinking design that developed from a visionary nucleus of leading creative thinkers from the vivid Berlin design scene. In 2010 the Festival takes place in its new venue, the Kraftwerk in Berlin Mitte district, a former power plant with more than 10,000 square feet of event space on three floors. www.dmy-berlin.com
October 29 - 31: The Designer’s Open in the up and coming city of Leipzig in Germany’s east is setting new trends. More than 150 national and international designers present their latest work in the fields of interior design, fashion design, industrial design and communication design at the 54,000 square feet floor area of the centrally located Merkurhaus - a unique convenient store building. A vast program with lectures, off-site event locations (and parties in the evenings complemented the fair that attracts more than 10.000 visitors. www.designersopen.de
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