OCTOPUS.GARDEN
Leaders of Berlin’s cultural and creative scene announced the launch of octopus.garden, a startup based in Thessaloniki, Greece, and inspired by the famous song by the Beatles.
The initiators aim to engage with the creative economy on-site, to support the cultural and economic exchange with Berlin and to capture the potential of this Greek port city:
its liveliness and its openness, of which it holds a lot in common with Berlin.
The founders of octopus.garden are six well known shakers and makers of the creative scene of Berlin.
The octopus.garden founding members are not unknown in Thessaloniki, either. After the WOMEX’s 2012 edition in Thessaloniki, all of these founding members were active on site, participating with various events, projects and cooperations, whether on a political, consulting, event management or creative level.
Thessaloniki was the worthy final stop of a crazy 4531km bus trip through Europe. The city immediately struck me and blew me away. You feel like you want to launch something and to connect with the existing and open structures. It’s similar to the feeling in Berlin at the beginning of the 90s – only with the sea in front of your doorstep. I am excited to see what will happen, when the octopus stretches its tentacles.
It is quite rare that you visit a city and it gives you the feeling of coming home. That feeling is what I connect with Thessaloniki, and it is only logical that a strong group from Berlin initiates the platform OCTOPUS GARDEN. I am looking forward to many exciting projects in Thessaloniki, Berlin and elsewhere.
Thessaloniki connects the past and the future. Thessaloniki connects cultures. Thessaloniki connects Europe with the Near East. Thessaloniki connects Europeans. In Thessaloniki, ideas and creativity can be connected with perspectives for young people. That is why I feel very connected to Thessaloniki…
The creative industry in Thessaloniki is as exciting and pulsating as it is in Berlin. I am really looking forward to being a part of this and I am convinced that we can build a bridge between the two hotspots, which will offer us a great insight into both ecosystems.