The Künstlerhaus Bethanien is situated on a wide and lively street, surrounded by a variety of supermarkets offering ingredients for different budgets and cooking styles. My favorite spot was the riverside. Walking along the long pathways on both sides of the river, I encountered constantly changing views of the water and the city. The contrast between winter’s heavy grey and summer’s restless green was especially striking.

The studio was a clean, minimal white box, part industrial, part office-like. Filled with natural light, it offered only the essentials: a bed, a simple kitchen, a table and chairs. Everything felt just right. Both visually and functionally, the space gave me room to reflect and breathe. From the moment I arrived, I could already imagine focusing fully on my work here.

Soon after settling in, I entered an intensive period of production. The exhibition timeline moved faster than expected, leaving just over a month for filming. I began collecting footage across Berlin. I also constructed models, placing small printed images on them as a method of visual selection. Most of my time was spent selecting and pairing photos. I tried different combinations each day and made adjustments accordingly. By late August, I started contacting local production vendors. Unfamiliar with the local workflows and pricing structures, I realized I had started the process too late. This led to numerous challenges and a great deal of communication. I’m grateful to the team at Bethanien, who helped me explore solutions throughout the process. Thanks to all the collective effort, the outcome was highly satisfying. This was an invaluable lesson in itself.

My main work created in Berlin, The Scenery Behind Me, is a series that depicts the process of movement. Filmed from a moving vehicle with a camera focusing on the rearview mirror, the film captures the fleeting, blurred images as they vanish from sight. In this gaze, a meditative space emerges, where the act of filming becomes a form of self-dialogue through image.

Berlin’s artistic atmosphere is marked by a strong sense of freedom. Socially, the city reflects a polarized character that constantly shifts between structure and deconstruction, creating much space for critical thought. In this context, art becomes a vital source of energy for the city. During my time in Berlin, I felt that both the rational and emotional sides of myself were acknowledged and released.

Author: Hsu Ting (artist name)
Edited: Brix