The Museum Of Capitalism - Berlin

Demo gegen das Berlin Stadtschloss

2009-10-09T04:16:00.000-07:00

Please join our new action: "Schloss Mit Lustig! Cancel The Castle!"
On Saturday October 17 we will demonstrate against the Stadtschloss, a half-a-billion-euro project to build a fake castle in the center of Berlin.
We wish to highlight that this is an unnecessary waste of money, and should be immediately canceled.
See the flyer and the website: www.stopstadtschloss.com

2009-05-25T01:49:00.001-07:00

Lost Film Fest comes to Berlin

2009-05-25T01:40:00.000-07:00

Lost Film Fest is a travelling screening of underground films presented by VJ Scott Beibin, a culture-hacking activist from Philadelphia.

Beibin has amassed a huge library of rare unseen clips, documentaries and news items about politics, social changes, activism, eco-futurism, and creativity. He mashes them together in a three-hour presentation, explaining their significance along the way. The result is an inspirational interactive multimedia feast.

Beibin is a key figure in the new media-based activist movement that is currently growing in the U.S. He was one of the organizers of the infamous New York Times prank, he helps the Yes Men pull off their anti-corporate pranks, and he runs a speakers’ booking agency for interesting thinkers, such as Bill Ayers of the Weather Underground.

He will present Lost Film Fest at Betahaus in Kreuzberg on Wednesday June 3. The film starts at 21.00, and afterwards DJs from the Neukölln-based Shameless Limitless collective will spin some tunes. Entry is 3eu.

Details:

Date: Mittwoch Juni 3

Time: 21.00 – 01.00

Location: Betahaus, Prinzessinnenstr. 19-20, Kreuzberg

Cost: 3eu

Info: www.lostfilmfest.com

We don't want to pay for your crisis

2009-03-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Hedonist International are gearing up for the first big protest parade of the spring. On Saturday March 28 they will hold an outdoor demo themed "We don't want to pay for your crisis." In typical Hedonist style, it will feature several techno trucks and plenty of colourful characters dancing in the street to mark their disapproval. See their website for more details.

Sadly, their event forced us to postpone our own protest, planned for the same day. We wanted to hold a demo against the building of the Stadtschloss, a huge unnecessary fake castle to be constructed in the center of Berlin - at a cost (to the taxpayer) of half a billion euros. We still plan to hold our 'Schloss Mit Lustig - Cancel The Castle' demo, but most likely in May.

What next? Not socialism...

2009-03-10T05:50:00.001-07:00

For our next party/exhibit, we've asked you to contribute ideas to the theme 'What's Next? Ideas for New Economic Thought.'
Around Berlin now we see posters from the old left-wing organizations announcing 'Marx is Back!' But in this article in The Nation, several socialists have declared their ideology unfit for office.

"With both long-term biological and day-to-day economic survival in doubt, the only relevant question is: do we have a plan, people? Can we see our way out of this and into a just, democratic, sustainable (add your own favorite adjectives) future? Let's just put it right out on the table: we don't," wrote Barbara Ehrenreich and Bill Fletcher Jr - two socialist thinkers.
"At least we don't have some blueprint on how to organize society ready to whip out of our pockets. Lest this sound negligent on our part, we should explain that socialism was an idea about how to rearrange ownership and distribution and, to an extent, governance. It assumed that there was a lot worth owning and distributing; it did not imagine having to come up with an entirely new and environmentally sustainable way of life."

Capitalism is failing, and now even socialists think their ideas won't work. What's next?

I'm as mad as hell!

2009-03-03T03:26:00.001-08:00

In news reports from around the world, police are expressing concern about a Summer of Discontent. It is anticipated that citizens will take to the streets this summer (northern hemisphere) to voice their anger at the systems that have eroded our environment, living standards, personal privacy and peace.
Perhaps police think that predicting a revolution will quell it, since prophecies rarely come true. At any rate, we'd like to use this opportunity to inform you about a few interesting community-based action groups that are rising up to make a difference. Some of them use Yes Men-style tactics. Others test the boundaries of legality even more. We support them wholeheartedly:

ACORN - Home Defenders
In the US, the government has given billions upon billions of dollars to the banks which caused the economic catastrophe, while ignoring the millions of people being evicted from their homes due to foreclosures.
ACORN is a group that defends people about to be evicted by forming blockades around their houses when authorities come knocking. Check out their website, or this recent video.

Home defenders save homes from foreclosure from Bink on Vimeo.

Plane Stupid - Airport Activists
Would you cut fences and storm an airport to protest the increasing number of commercial flights? Plane Stupid does exactly that. They're frustrated that, in light of the evidence that commercial jets are a huge cause of environmental degradation, airport authorities in Europe are actually trying to increase passenger numbers.
Today activists effectively shut down the Aberdeen airport in Scotland by cutting the fence and playing golf on the runway while dressed as Donald Trump. Why? Because Trump is trying to build a luxury golf course nearby, and as a result the airport authority has been given authority to increase passenger numbers to 1.5 million per year.
"Despite a catalogue of scientific reports warning them that they can't keep on with aviation growth, they continue with disregard for all of us who will end up dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis," Plane Stupid told The Guardian today.
"The reality is that our generation's future is vanishing so that people like Donald Trump and his super-rich friends can jet into Aberdeen for a round of golf." The same group held a similar stunt at Stansted Airport. Gutsy stuff, since they were all arrested. Read their website to see if you support their stance.

Vive La Crise!

2009-03-03T02:03:00.000-08:00

French poster artist SP-38 summed up our feelings about the financial crash with his placard: "Vive La Crise!" Everyone in Berlin should be familiar with SP-38's work by now. His distinctive blue-and-red hand-painted posters are prolific throughout Mitte, particularly his slogans "No Revolution Today" and "Who Killed Mitte?" Those interested in seeing more of SP-38's work can do so at two interesting events/festivals coming up.

Printemps Des Poetes - March 2 - 15 - Poetry and posters
This grass-roots festival allows anyone to take part in poetry. SP-38 will dedicate some of his posters to this theme, and will hang them around Brunnenstrasse in Mitte-Wedding (U8 - Rosenthaler Platz).
This festival has many small and interesting events, including the 'Poetry Collecting Box' in Reuterkiez, Neukölln. Each day from March 2 to 13, cardboard collection boxes will be placed different locations around Reuterstrasse. Everyone is invited to respond to the theme 'laughter' by placing a small piece of writing in one of the boxes. On March 14 the boxes will be collected, and their contents will be bundled into small packages and hung from a tree for passers-by to collect and read.
Find out more at their website: Printemps Des Poets
The program can be tricky to find, so we've placed a direct link here.

Druckerfestival - April 24 - May 9 - Poster festival - Print your own money!
This poster art festival invites everyone to create their own form of currency, something we support, since even real money is a fantasy creation anyway. SP-38 will be one of the many contributors. Their will be a series of performances connected to this festival from May 1-3.
May 3 looks likely to be the best party, since mad sexual-electro Australian band Team Plastique will be performing at a venue called 'Squart' in the RAW precinct on Revaler Strasse (U & S Warschauer Str).
More info here.

Sofa Cinema - Another film?

2009-02-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

No movie this Monday, sorry. Beta Haus is beginning to construct desk-share offices, so we have to put the Sofa Cinema on hold.
We are currently trying to find a new and more permanent home for our Sofa Cinema. In the mean time, we may use other locations to bring you interesting documentaries and films. Stay tuned for more updates...

This week we can announce the date and location of our next action - a protest for a very deserving cause, followed by another party. More info in the coming days...

No financial solutions for financial problems

2009-02-25T01:58:00.000-08:00

Those interested in hearing about life after capitalism should head along to the ATTAC Kapitalismus Kongress here in Berlin from March 6 to 8.
The event will feature discussions by interesting speakers, including sociologist and author Saskia Sassen, who recently argued that the world should not turn to financial solutions for its financial problems.
Sassen has been keeping an eye on lot of scary economic developments over the past decades. Read more of her thoughts here, or head along to the conference to hear her speak in person.

March 6 - 8
Berlin Technische Universität

Decay - Stories from a nation in decline

2009-02-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

I’m Joel, one of the many people organizing The Museum Of Capitalism.
A few months ago I visited the north-east corner of the USA to research a story. During that visit I randomly met Mike from The Yes Men, and that’s how all this museum/party/movie night/protest stuff has come about.
While I was in the USA I kept a journal about my impressions of the country as it approaches an incredible decline in its fortunes. I filed my journal as a blog, which you can find and read at this site:

Sofa Cinema

2009-02-18T10:16:00.001-08:00

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Monday February 23, 21.00
Come early to score a sofa seat!

Thanks to Andy Bichlbaum from The Yes Men for recommending tonight’s movie, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, a documentary that follows the attempt to overthrow Hugo Chavez’s government in Venezuela in 2002. It’s a political action thriller that truly shows how dynamic documentary making can be. And it’s timely, given Hugo Chavez’s recent referendum victory.

Look what the Yes Men got up to during Berlinale

2009-02-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

While we were all busy partying, the Yes Men were hard at work crashing the Berlinale film festival. They sat on the red carpet at the BMW-sponsored 'Cinema For Peace' and refused to leave until BMW stopped making cars.
Security got a bit rough with them, so Mike had to roll away in his Survivorball, proving that they do in fact provide adequate protection in all situations. Andy got marched around the corner, and only the presence of a video camera stopped him from being beaten up by security guards.

Sometimes even impersonators need to be impersonated.

The Yes Men won the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlinale film fest! Unfortunately, they weren't here to receive it. So they asked us at The Museum Of Capitalism to help out by collecting the trophy for them.
We went along pretending to be The Yes Men, which is only fair, because The Yes Men pretend to be other people all the time.
Our 'stunt' was performed in front of a full theater on Sunday February 15. Our co-director 'Kurt' accepted the award before inviting 'Andy' and 'Mike' to the stage. The pair were mummified in bandages as a result of some injuries sustained during our red carpet protest at the BMW Cinema for Peace.
Later 'Kurt' gave a live interview with Radio Eins and narrowly avoided having his cover blown when the interviewer spotted a photo of the real Kurt in his paperwork.

Watch the videos here (in two parts):

2009-02-04T02:13:00.001-08:00

2009-02-02T15:34:00.001-08:00

Call for submissions

2009-02-02T15:30:00.000-08:00

The Museum of Capitalism is a one-day exhibition, with art, a presentation and a party all themed around the current economic phenomena.

It will be held on Saturday February 7 (this weekend) at Beta Haus, a project space at Prinzessinnenstr. 20, near the Moritzplatz U-bahn station.

The main feature of the event will be a presentation by The Yes Men, a US political satire group whose new movie ‘The Yes Men Fix The World’ will screen at Berlinale Film Festival.

We would like to invite artists, activists, or anyone with an imagination to contribute to our ‘Museum’ by creating something, anything, inspired by the so-called crisis. Wall art, video displays, sculptures, performances – anything at all is welcome.

We can help pay for some materials – please check first though!

If you would like to participate, please email the event co-ordinator, Joel Alas: joel(a)beastnation.com. Ph. 0151 22 88 3212