We all know that exercise is a good way to look after our bodies, but what about recovery? If you are looking for some “yin” selfcare to offset all those “yang” workouts, then massage and bodywork might be a worthwhile addition to your routine. The latest go-to place for this is Soulhouse Berlin Mitte. The studio – one of five locations in Berlin and Hamburg – offers a mix of massage and selfcare practices in minimalist “Wabi-Sabi” style treatment rooms by employed Soulhouse Experts. You can pick from ten different treatments, including pregnancy massages and foot reflexology. If you want to relax completely after a long week, you should opt for a Soulhouse Signature Classic, which is performed on a heated lounger. But perhaps most interesting is a relatively recent trend called assisted stretching. Known from the USA, Soulhouse is the first to bring 1:1 assisted stretching units to Germany. The Soulhouse Stretch combines the best of yoga, mobility and recovery training. Personalized stretches tailored to you are performed by the Soulhouse Stretch Experts – for more flexibility and a completely new body feeling. The idea behind it: Your body gains new freedom of movement as a second person playfully guides you into deep stretches. One session should immediately feel like several weeks of training. Whether you are an athlete or simply long for a better body feeling – Assisted Stretch helps you to get your body in top shape. Want to move like you used to? Stretch with Soulhouse.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Soulhouse
Soulhouse Berlin Mitte, Oranienburger Str.32, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
You can book treatments and buy gift vouchers on the website.
@soulhouse.me
Few places in Berlin are as legendary and mysterious as Café Kranzler on Ku’damm. It towers over the street as a monument to a time when Berlin was lit up by neon lights and bustled with swing music — it was all about avant-garde and excess. The city’s neon lights have since given way to LEDs, swing to electronic beats, and excess has lost its avant-garde. Yet the Kranzler has retained its magic, so much so that no contemporary coffee shop or fast-fashion store could stand up to it long term. Now there is a new project, promising and entirely in the spirit of Berlin’s free-spirited nature: progressive, creative and entertaining, the Kranzler Market will take place in the time-honored rooms until 23.12.2024. It’s a Christmas pop-up that couldn’t be more Berlin. Endyma, the largest Helmut Lang archive in the world, will sell hand-picked vintage designer pieces. Design Studio Balzer Balzer will contribute furniture and vases, and of course their signature bubble lights. Good Old Goods will offer the perfect vintage pieces for eclectic homes. Studio Lilo will offer heavenly flower bouquets. And for the very youngest, discover sustainable diaper products from the start-up Sumo. Andreas Mühe is coming to the Kranzler with his A.M. Bunkers: from today (05.12.2024), a series of exclusive cuddly plush bunkers will be on sale for a short time.
Andreas is one of the most famous German photographers of his time. Bunker Family is a work of art by him. “The whole German hardship is suddenly thematized by a soft art object, a cuddly toy (an army of cuddly toys)…”. From Friday to Sunday, the Ottolinger fashion label will be opening Café Kranzler’s rotunda for an Archive Sale. From its studio in Berlin and with its shows in Paris, the label has garnered international success. If you are still looking for special gifts, pop into Café Kranzler after brunch on Sunday (08.12.).
Text: Alina Herbel / Photos: Cansu Kuscu, Studio Mühe, Thomas Balzer
Café Kranzler, Kurfürstendamm 20, 10719 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Kranzler Market 29.11.–23.12.2024
@kranzlerx.berlin
@endyma
@ottolinger
@balzerbalzer_studio
@gooldoldgoods
@studiolilo_
@andreasmuehe
@sumobaby
In the summer of 1988, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and entrepreneur Helmut Diez met on the beach in Maui, Hawaii. Together they thought about how they could improve the mechanisms of the art market and came up with the idea of founding an artists’ association — acquaintances would sponsor up-and-coming talents there. They scribbled the names of the people they wanted to contact in Diez’s travel diary. They later referred to the scribbling as a “contract of fiction”, on which their concept was to be based. Basquiat died a few weeks later in New York, but Helmut Diez kept the idea alive. A global network has grown out of it. Berlin’s P61 Gallery is now showing works by 50 selected artists from this group for the first time in an exhibition. The common thread between each piece is they can be experienced as digital-immersive art. For visitors, this means taking a seat, leaning back and sinking into the art — like in the imaginary dreamscapes created with AI by architect Carlos Bañon Blazquez.
Text: Isabel Raab / Credits: Katsuko Koiso, Lava Architects, P61 Gallery
P61 Gallery, Potsdamer Str.61, 10785 Berlin-Schöneberg; map
Contract of Fiction, until 30.12.2024. Get your tickets here.
@p61gallery
When it comes to gift giving (yes, reader: it’s that time of year already), an increasing number of us are choosing memories over material and giving our favorite people experiences rather than physical stuff. There are options galore, from Brandenburg balloon flights and yoga studio subs to memberships for indie movie theaters. But if you can’t really decide and want a present that offers a bit of everything, one possibility worth considering is Abundo. Aimed at the culturally adventurous, the Berlin and Hamburg-focused app gives access to all sorts of events, from comedy shows and live music to film screenings and theatre productions. Subscribers pay a flat monthly fee of 29 euros and can attend up to one thing a day. The line-up is varied and pretty vast; past tickets have included Nick Cave at the Uber Arena, after-work concerts at the Philharmonie, 35mm screenings of “Notting Hill” and performances of “1000 Coils of Fear” at the Maxim Gorki Theater. Coming up, the app is set to offer tickets to OPIA, a festival hosted by Ólafur Arnalds on 14.12.2024 at Silent Green.
Of course, popular shows tend to get snapped up quickly, so you need to check the app regularly and grab a ticket before they’re gone. Speaking of swift: one of the more offbeat events is the Swiftie Dance Night at Metropol Club in Schöneberg, celebrating the hits of a certain country-pop megastar. It turns out this is a fun way to use Abundo: open the app, flick through, and lean into something you might not ordinarily do. A visit to an artist studio in Prenzlauer Berg? Sure, why not! A vintage cocktail and jazz night a la “Babylon Berlin”? Absolutely. An ultra-camp holiday drag show? Sign me up…
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Lucinda Childs Dance Company / Credit: Abundo
Read more about Abundo here. Cee Cee readers get 20 percent off gift cards by using the code “ceeceegift.”
You can also test the app for 9 euros for the first month here.
@abundolive
Beloved Berlin: The Christmas season is upon us, bringing the annual promise of creativity and magic to brighten gloomy winter days. What better way to embrace the season than with leisurely gift shopping? As always, Holy Shit Shoppingdelivers on this promise. Despite its cheeky name, this Christmas market is a beacon of the Advent spirit, offering a touch of wonder year after year. This season, starting 30.11, the “Cank” in the iconic brutalist former Hertie building on Neukölln’s Karl-Marx-Straße will be transformed into a temple of consumption, brimming with unique and ethical inspiration. Designers will showcase handmade bags, jewelry and clothing from small-scale manufacturers. These are more than just items for sale, they carry stories of hands crafting one-of-a-kind pieces, of hearts pouring passion into every detail. What could be a more meaningful gift than that? And if shopping stirs your appetite, don’t worry, the Bite Club is on hand to curate a culinary journey as thoughtful as the market itself. Expect more than street food — each bite is an experience. Local DJs complete the scene with beats as fresh as falling snow. Tickets for this celebration of Berlin’s creativity and love for handmade objects are available now. Holy Shit, don’t miss it!
Text: Alina Herbel / Photos: Cank & Holy Shit Shopping
Holy Shit Shopping im Cank, Karl-Marx-Str.95, Berlin–Neukölln; map
30.11.–01.12.2024, free admission up to 14 years.
@holyshitshopping
@cank.berlin