Works of 50 Artists Displayed on Balconies in Berlin

A beautiful art installation displayed on an artist's balcony was part of the Balconies, Life, Art, Pandemic, and Proximity exhibition last week in Berlin. Photos: JOHN MACGOUGALL/AFP
A beautiful art installation displayed on an artist's balcony was part of the Balconies, Life, Art, Pandemic, and Proximity exhibition last week in Berlin. Photos: JOHN MACGOUGALL/AFP
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Works of 50 Artists Displayed on Balconies in Berlin

A beautiful art installation displayed on an artist's balcony was part of the Balconies, Life, Art, Pandemic, and Proximity exhibition last week in Berlin. Photos: JOHN MACGOUGALL/AFP
A beautiful art installation displayed on an artist's balcony was part of the Balconies, Life, Art, Pandemic, and Proximity exhibition last week in Berlin. Photos: JOHN MACGOUGALL/AFP

After the closure of Berlin's art galleries over the COVID-19 pandemic, around 50 artists exhibited their works on balconies, calling the audience for an "intimate visit" to enjoy their creations.

"At a time when our freedom of movement is suspended, balconies have become unique performance sites," said the organizers who launched the project in the Prenzlauer Berg district of east Berlin.

The project's curators Ovul Durmusoglu and Joanna Warsza, who called the artists to unleash their imagination, said: "Balconies are for getting a breath of fresh air, spending some time in the sun or smoking."

The curious walkers in Berlin, where the rules of isolation in the face of the coronavirus pandemic are less strict than elsewhere in Germany, are invited to raise their heads and admire the artworks.

One artist displayed black and white photographs of people on their balconies in Athens and Cordoba, while another hung a ladder made from tree branches.

Other installation presents ribbons of toilet paper cascading down a building's facade, a reference to Germans' rush to stock up on the must-have commodity as soon as the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Europe.

The project with "zero budget, no preview, no crowds" aims to provide "an intimate walk in search of signs of life and art", the organizers said.



Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
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Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)

With Nepal's snowy Himalayan peaks as a backdrop, the sky above Pokhara transformed into a vibrant canvas of colors for the country's first hot-air balloon festival.

Tourism is a major earner for Nepal, which saw over a million foreign visitors this year after a post-pandemic bounceback, and investments are being made in hotels and airports to cater to travelers.

"We felt that we must bring a balloon festival like this to Nepal," Sabin Maharjan, an organizer of the event, told AFP.

Hot-air balloons from more than 10 countries participated in the festival.

"A ride here can be very exciting as you can see mountains, hills and lakes," Maharjan added.

"All passengers tell us that they are very happy -- such a festival will boost our tourism."

The balloons created a mesmerizing display against a stunning sight of the snow-capped Annapurna range.

"It is spectacular," American balloon pilot Derek Hamcock, 67, said.

"As soon as you go above the small range here you see all the Himalayas. Unbelievable, every time you see them it is unbelievable."

Balloons shaped as a rat and a frog from were among those joining in the fun, slowly drifting with the breeze.

"You never know where you are going," said Diego Criado del Rey, 29, a balloon pilot from Spain.

"So it is pretty much you and the nature -- not fighting, but being together. You go where the nature tells you."

Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice for the skies over Pokhara for a duration of nine days to allow balloon flights.

Although more than two centuries have passed since France's Montgolfier brothers made the first manned flight, ballooning can still capture the imagination.