Mixtape #1, Side A, Songs of Love
Mixtapes used to be carefully assembled; song selections followed a specific situation or mood. Today, one might call this a curated medium.
Based on this idea, I developed a visual mixtape. The cassette tape defined the structure: 120 minutes, divided into two sides of 60 minutes each. The songs had to fit together both thematically and in terms of duration, forming a coherent sequence.
It was important to me not to present only my own selection. I therefore invited friends and acquaintances via social media to share their favorite songs. From these contributions, a collective tracklist emerged—a mixtape that brings together different tastes and personal associations.
An exhibition of the works was planned at Cuore di Vetro, a gelateria with a strong connection to music and an environment shaped by bands such as Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave, and The Cure. The name—Cuore di Vetro, Heart of Glass—provided the starting point: Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” became the first track and the theme of Side A: love songs.
Playlist
Mixtape #1 (Side A), Berlin Exhibition 2014
Vernissage Do, 27 februar 18:00 bis 22:00.
'Mixtape #1' is an exhibition by Berlin based artist Kerstin Kary which runs for just over a month, from 27 February until early April 2014 at Cuore Di Vetro cafe (Max-Beer Straße 33, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, U-Bahn U2).
The exhibit starts with Blondie's classic 'Heart of Glass' (cuore di vetro) and continues with drawings of 14 other love songs, plus
a few bonus track stretches. As Kary herself describes it, the inspiration for this exhibition has been: “I wanted to show something that really works with the name of the cafe and the mixtape idea was on my mind for quite some time. So starting with Blondie and continuing with a theme of similar 'more or less' love songs... but then I asked my Facebook friends „what are your favourite love songs?“ I was amazed with the response I got and have included 8 so far. Some of the rest that have been shared will go into the B-sides project".
The selection of 15 drawings for this exhibit were chosen by Kary because they depict a genre of musicians and bands which should be fairly consistent with Guido and Angelika's own 'alternative' or post-punk tastes. Whilst in Cuore di Vetro one can often hear such artists as the Cure or Nick Cave. Indeed, Bad Seed Blixa Bargeld, who has also been part of Einstürzende Neubauten and The Birthday Party, is clearly an influence on the sounds heard from the cafe. And so the drawings here are images associated with the music videos or live performances of the following: Blondie, Bright Eyes, Citizens, Depeche Mode, PJ Harvey, New Order, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Pet Shop Boys, Patti Smith, Soap & Skin, Sonic Youth, The Damned, This Mortal Coil, Tuxedomoon, and Violeta Parra.
Exhibition text by Patrick Laviolette
B/W Photography by Xavier Ballester