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Workshops successfully launched @MosaicMoments, Berlin

Published by gertrud

It was a successful start for the workshops @ MosaicMoments studio in Berlin! 25 brave people came to the taster courses in December 22, January and February 2023 and were able to experience the calming effect of mosaic making as well as the special energy that arises when several people in a room immerse themselves in crafting.

Birthday party beginners workshop Feb 23

“On the occasion of my birthday, I attended a workshop with my friends at the wonderful MosaicMoments studio. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and making mosaics together under Gertrud’s expert and loving guidance gave us a special and bonding memory. I will never forget this birthday and each of us went home with a beautiful mosaic at the end!” Sylvie, participant February 2023

“The great thing is that you can switch off for 3 hours and forget everything around you. ” Brigitte M., December workshop

The magical moment of grouting

“I also really enjoyed the days because of the nice company. It definitely put me in the mood for the quieter Christmas period. …The tension between resistance and feeling, randomness and precision, conviviality and concentration when laying mosaics really inspired me. The connection between people and material is really great. ” Franziska Sch., December workshop 2022

“I’ve enjoyed these days at your place! Realize now, how I missed crafts! Had no opportunities to do things with own hands since fled home! And I like it so much!”
Ted, February 2023 workshop

Mosaic work beginners workshop February 2023

GMMs first Community Mosaic Project in Berlin

Published by gertrud

… is being developed together with the residents of “Haus 1” at the Möckernkiez in Berlin, Kreuzberg. In December 22 I was approached by the representative of the residents association, Dagmar Köppen and later commissioned by the association to help to design and produce mosaic Frieses for the 2 entrance areas together with the people living and working in the newly developed apartment block.

We started in January 2023 with a job walk to the two spaces that should be decorated with mosaic with representatives of the residents association. The decision fell to a fries made from different mosaic tiles each produced by participants from each residential unit.

In an interesting process we decided collectively with 3 representatives and me on the colors of the tiles that we would offer to be used.

We wanted to get to 10 colors. After seeing the space where the mosaic shall be again we did a firstround were every one of us would select 5 colors from a large selection of crayons. Then we selected the colors that several of us had chosen. After a second round doing exactly the same we had 10 colors and everyone was happy with it. It took just 30 minutes to decide between 5 people!

On Feb 21 Dagmar came to the studio to learn the Trencadis (broken tile) technique, that was developed by Antonio Gaudi and his workers.

During the weekend April 22/23 just one year after the inauguration of my previous community mosaic project in Beijing/China we will produce the tiles for one area with the residents of Haus 1 in two workshops.

 

 

Trauer nach dem Erdbeben in der Türkei und Syrien

Published by gertrud

I am mourning with the people in Turkey and in Syria about the loss of lives and livelihoods in the region of the earthquake.

Nusret Özdemir at the banks of the river Euphrates looking for suitable rocks for the background of the Ayvalik mosaic. He taught me how to inspect rocks to find out if they are suitable for making tesserae out of it.

In 2015 I spent a whole month in the city of Gaziantep learning and working together with Nusret Özdemir, a mosaic master and former security guard of the archeological museum Zeugma where the most beautiful mosaics were discovered in the last century. In his workshop we made the figures of the Ayvalik Mosaic – a project I did in 2015-16 to recreate a whole mosaic floor in ancient technique.

from right Nusret, Tahir and me at the Ayvalik Mosaic

During that month I was living in a flat share in Gaziantep with Ayse Ebru Corbaci who is the lead conservationist of the Gaziantep district.

Ayse, me and Nusret working on the Ayvalik Mosaic in Nusret’s workshop in Gaziantep

I have heard that both are well and their houses are still standing. I haven’t heard about the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep and also the situation at the archeological site. We will get to know about the conditions of these truly magnificent cultural heritage places – first is the care for the people that are insured and have lost their houses.

Inside the shelter building that protects archeological findings at the Zeugma archeological site.