Monsterkabinett

“Totally Berlin” is how my guide described this whimsical, grungy and fun excursion into an imaginary dreamscape, in a cellar at the end of a graffiti-clad alley. The “monsters” in question are huge mechanical creatures, made by the art cooperative Dead Chickens who are a Berlin institution. The tour only takes about a half hour and leads through a dark labyrinth past the types of fanciful monsters that would look right at home in a Guillermo del Toro movie. At one point visitors are asked to keep a particularly creepy crawler at bay by dancing to loud techno music. By appointment-only, the monster tour offers a slice of the creativity and childlike delight that powers Berlin’s urban art scene.