He sat in the cafeteria with Bertolt Brecht, fed elephants with Willy Brandt, argued with Joseph Beuys about oak trees, and phoned Mikhail Gorbachev in the Kremlin.

Performance artist, environmental activist, natural philosopher, gallery owner, tree godfather and "anarchist" Ben Wagin, aka BEN BERLIN, has left his mark on the city of Berlin with his controversial style.

BEN BERLIN by Sobo Swobodnik and Pantea Lachin steps calmly and observantly into the realm of the 86-year-old artist Ben Wagin. Gingko trees, urban planning and cultural politics - that's what this foolishness is all about. And every now and then, quite surprisingly, Playboy Rolf Eden also scurries through the picture. Another Berlin myth." (Taz)