True Berlin charm lies in the understated: Bookstore Motto Berlin

Xu Shuxiang

This is how I see Berlin: the bigger the tourist spots, the duller they get. The small shops tucked away in alleys are what make Berlin uniquely Berlin—something no other city can replicate. If you take the time to wander and explore this city of old and new, you’ll often stumble upon delightful surprises. And Motto Berlin is one of them.

How low-key is this bookstore? Its sign, barely noticeable, hangs at the entrance of an alley on Skalitzer Straße, as listed on its website. Just plain white with simple blue letters that read “Motto.” If you weren’t specifically looking for the bookstore, you’d easily walk right past it. Walk into the alley, and you’ll find the bookstore nestled in a courtyard—no signs, no directions, just quietly tucked into a corner. The warm brown wooden decor carries through the store’s unassuming vibe from start to finish.

As you push open the door and step inside, you’re greeted by the mellow beats of electronic chillout music filling the small space—and immediately you think, “Yes, this is it!” You know you haven’t come here for nothing. A few people come and go occasionally, chatting with the staff at the counter—they’re clearly regulars. The shelves are packed with all kinds of magazines and art books. What amazed me most were the magazines presented in the most unexpected formats: different papers, bindings, sizes, packaging styles, and themes. Someone turned guitar doodle sheet music into a booklet. Another packed together photos of various sizes and colors along with random little objects into a sealed box set. Yet another photocopied old New York images in low-quality print, left them unbound but neatly folded and arranged inside a clear plastic bag… Creativity runs wild here without restraint.

One magazine releases a new theme every month. The issue I couldn’t put down had the theme of “sea,” with each page featuring seascapes taken by people from all over the world. Writing this now, I think I really need to pay them another visit soon.

●Motto Berlin
Website: http://www.mottodistribution.com/site/
Address: Skalitzer Str. 68, im Hinterhof, Berlin
Getting there: Take U-Bahn U1 to Schlesisches Tor station, then walk 5 minutes

●On-site │ Photography Exhibition

Exhibition Period: August 1, 2013 – September 30, 2013
Venue: homey’s café │ 2F, No. 36, Lane 236, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Taipei City　

Event Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/1395373077348351/

●Artist │ Xu Shuxiang Hsu Shu Hsiang
Formerly worked in film planning for many years. Served at the Taipei Film Festival and contributed writings to the Golden Horse Film Festival and Kaohsiung Film Festival brochures and special issues. Also authored multiple TV and film project proposals. In 2012, went to Germany for a working holiday, visiting various European performance venues and music festivals. After returning to Taiwan in 2013, began curating performance photos taken during the trip and planned them into the “On-site” photography exhibition.
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