Pupils from Years 11, 12 and 13 had a fantastic time celebrating German art, food and language as part of a German Culture Day on Thursday 10 October.
The event, organised by the Modern Languages Department, involved a food tasting at the Bermondsey Bierkeller Restaurant near London Bridge and a visit to the Expressionist Exhibition at the Tate Modern.
In the morning students embarked on a culinary voyage to Germany by sampling some typical German street food at the bierkeller– Pretzels, Currywurst, Sauerkraut and various vegetarian dishes.
Appetites satisfied, the students visited the Tate Modern for an Expressionist exhibition featuring the work of ‘Der Blaue Ritter’ (The Blue Rider) group, where they explored the paintings, sculpture and photography of artists who experimented with colour, sound and light at the turn of the last century. Among the artists were Franz Marc and Wassily Kandinsky, as well as female artists Marianne Werefkin, Gabriele Münter and Elisabeth Epstein.
Lea (Y12): “I enjoyed the opportunity to go to the German expressionist exhibition as it provided greater insight into German art and history. I could also tie it to my Art studies.”
Mirja (Y13): “As we had studied German expressionists before, it was so inspiring to see those works in real life.”
Amabel (Y12): “The exhibition provided excellent insight into the German cultural movement of expressionism.”
Oskar (Y13): “I really enjoyed experiencing a diverse range of German culture, particularly the food.”
Mr Koutsakis, Head of Modern Languages, summed up the day: “This has been an excellent experience for all the students who took part. They immersed themselves in the art of the German Expressionist movement and the food tasting beforehand. Both activities sparked their imagination, enriched their learning and deepened their appreciation for German culture.”
