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Art On A Crumbling Canvas: Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel

Multi-coloured Yawn: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near BerlinI would have loved Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel, an abandoned paper mill near Berlin, for the architecture, the atmosphere and the sense of history, but finding the walls daubed with Street Art was the icing on the cake.

When I suggested to Digital Cosmonaut and Irish Berliner (the man behind Abandoned Berlin) that we visit the disused paper factory in Wolfswinkel, I was thinking about the opportunity of capturing the dereliction, the industrial relics and the varying light conditions. And I got to do that, as you can see here.

Finding colourful Street Art (or maybe that should be Urban Art given that it wasn’t on the street) on many of the walls was a real bonus.  And there was so much of it that I felt it needed a post of its own.

The cover photo on this post was in the first room we looked into and it was a taste of things to come.

Kim Köster

After many hours on the internet trying to find the artist’s name I now think that much of the art at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel is the work of Kim Köster.  If anyone can confirm that, or put me right, I’d be very grateful.

Worshipping The Light: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

It wasn’t just the quality of the artwork that impressed me about the artist’s work. The placement was also spot on – many of the pieces interacted with their surroundings, as the best Street Art should.

Perched: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Big Foot: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Bird Ride: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Monster Swing: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Shadows were a key feature in a number of the pieces but at times the real genius was a combination of the clever placement and these shadows.  The artist had incorporated the light and shadow of the surroundings into the art, which I first noticed with the shadow below the hammock in the next piece, cast by the pillar from which the hammock was ‘strung’ (note the hammock is painted on a wall some way back from the pillars).

Hammock Time: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Blinded By The Sun: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

The Birdman of Wolfswinkel: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Back To The Mothership: Street Art by Kim Köster at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

I also saw a piece that I believe is by the same artist in the chapel at Kaserne Krampnitz, though I wasn’t able to get a decent picture because of a lack of light.

If you like the artist’s work, you should check out his website and I would recommend checking out his 99 Rooms project – incredible.

Unknown Artists

Not all of the art at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel was by Kim Köster though.  There was plenty of other great art.  I haven’t been able to identify the artist for some of these next pieces so if anyone has any info please let me know in the comments so I can give the proper credit.

Tall Blue Man: Street Art by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

The Tongue: Street Art by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Going To See The Boss: Street Art by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

This piece Para Siempre (Forever) was a tableau of skulls.

Para Siempre: Street Art by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Till Death Do Us Part: Street Art by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Bucket Skull: Street Art by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

There was a selection of Graffiti as well as the Street Art.

No Facebook No Blackbook: Graffiti by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Ein Herz Für Kinder Sind Unsere Zukunft!: Graffiti by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

The Wild Wild East: Graffiti by Unknown Artist at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

Remy Uno

I liked this playful piece by Marseille-based artist Remy Uno, proof that the eyes are the window to the soul.

Spectacles: Street Art by Remy Uno at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

EVOL

Plattenbauten: Street Art by EVOL at Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel near Berlin

And finally, I have managed to find an EVOL in (or at least near) Berlin having seen my first Plattenbauten by the artist in London recently.

If you like Urban Exploration (Urbex) and you’re ever in Berlin, you should definitely head out of the city and check out the Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel – it’s well worth the trip for that alone. If you’ve also got an interest in Street Art it’s a no-brainer – go tomorrow.

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12 Responses to Art On A Crumbling Canvas: Papierfabrik Wolfswinkel

  1. Russ 10 October, 2012 at 15:04 #

    I love finding great artwork in abandoned buildings, you got some very good shots in there.

    • andBerlin 11 October, 2012 at 12:22 #

      Street Artists often use abandoned buildings to experiment so the art can be great and innovative (or pretty dreadful sometimes).

  2. Eva 10 October, 2012 at 15:28 #

    Reblogged this on Hallo Welt! and commented:
    Great photos by Andberlin.com! Have a look!

    • andBerlin 11 October, 2012 at 12:15 #

      Vielen Dank for reblogging my post.

  3. Sarah 10 October, 2012 at 15:35 #

    Between this and your previous post about the site, I so wish I had known about it when I visited Berlin earlier this year …. maybe another time…..

    • andBerlin 11 October, 2012 at 12:27 #

      Think of it as another great reason to come back to a city you loved. I’m glad I didn’t make you cry this time!

  4. Haikugirl 10 October, 2012 at 23:13 #

    *Starts looking on Easyjet for a flight to Berlin… 😉

    • andBerlin 11 October, 2012 at 12:30 #

      You should. Before it get really cold and while there’s enough daylight to get about and see all the great Street Art. One of your favourite artists is here for the first time at the moment – Stik. I need to get out today and see if I can take some photos of his work.

  5. mrbasketprorevo 19 October, 2012 at 00:07 #

    Where is this exactly?

  6. placesabandoned 26 October, 2012 at 15:06 #

    My first reaction when I found the link to your blog was that I couldn’t see how street art would contribute to the look of the abandoned building, I was convinced it would detract from the distinct beauty you find in an abandoned building, how wrong was I!! I found the first two photos intriguing and could appreciate how talented the artist was but it wasn’t until the third photo where as you say he incorporates the building structure into the art work.

    I really enjoyed the photo of the creature on the swing, its so convincing that he actually belongs there that it is a pity it is only artwork. I think my favourite photo though is of the red monster under the hole in the roof, the effect of the lighting on the upper half of its body adds to the eeriness of there being a monster down below the hole, something I think we all envision as a child growing up that monsters are lurking in hidden places. I’d like to thank you for opening my eye and mind to their being beauty beyond that of the building!

    • andBerlin 29 October, 2012 at 11:50 #

      Thanks for the great comment. I think the defining factor in the art enhancing the look of the building is that the artist has talent and respect for his surroundings. The scale of this building means it can take some large artworks and still leave you with a sense of what it looked like before. Too often in these abandoned places the walls are scrawled with illegible tags that cover the entirety of small rooms.

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