mpkoz “The Berlin trait of Metropolis was inspired by Brutalism, the Bauhaus movement, and the city’s history/obsession with typography. All of these elements were obvious to me the first time I visited the city as an artist at the Berlin Bright Moments show in 2022. I am particularly proud of the Berlin algorithm, as most editions honor the architectural qualities of the city and/or the contributions the city has made to graphic design.
These editions are no exception. They seem to have been completely taken over by Bauhaus shapes, and in particular, full circles. They are very strange, definitely outliers of the Berlin trait. They are odd because one of the first decisions the algorithm makes is to select a batch of 3-4 primitives to use in a sort of base-level grid, which everything else grows upon. Circles are just one of maybe twelve options, and the algorithm selects at least three types of shapes to serve in that foundational grid. Most Berlin pieces have a variety of squares, lines, hexagons, triangles etc. These, however, are almost entirely circular and are overrun with depth. While aesthetically they are not my favorite, they are certainly rare examples of the aggression I wanted to tease out of the algorithm. The power and in-your-face nature of these editions are very reminiscent of the Brutalist side of Berlin, the east side of the wall, while retaining a bit of playfulness and the rounded edges of Bauhaus design. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Also notable to these editions is the rare "Yun" palette, which I think is an interesting choice because Grant’s work is often exceedingly calm and pastoral, yet with its use in these editions, only calls up more juxtaposition between his work and the over-engineered, space-age look of Brutalist architecture around Berlin.”