THE BERLIN WALL - EAST SIDE GALLERY -The largest
open air gallery in the world-
The East Side Gallery, one
of the last and the longest remains of the Berlin Wall on a
historical place, is the largest open air gallery in the world. It was
founded by an international group of artists around Thierry Noir, Guenther
Schaefer, Kani Alavi, Ciddy Citny, Birgit Kinder, Jim Avignon and others. The
Scott Chris McLean, former British cultural attaché in East Berlin, was in charge
of organization. In a time when the reunification was still unthinkable, her
excellent contacts to the GDR officials made it possible for the artists to
paint the Wall from the eastern side for the first time in history. 1.3 km
long, the East Side Gallery winds parallel to the river Spree through Berlin. Its works of
art tell from Berlin and German
history. It is a special place where art has become an expression for a
novelty in history. It is a testimony of a separated and reunited Germany. It tells from
an old and a new Berlin, from an “Iron
Curtain“ that divided the world in two gigantic power blocks. It is a place
for encounters between Berlin’s people and
visitors from all over the world who understand it, no matter from which side
the look upon it, as their former frontier line, too. In Muehlenstr., between
Oberbaumbridge and the railway station East (Ostbahnhof) runs an unique broad
stretch along this line. It speaks up against inhumanity. It also symbolizes
its overcoming. After the Wall had come down in November 1989, more than 100
artists gathered and gave this monstrous building a new face with their works
of art. It became known as the East Side Gallery. A project that had started within a modest
frame had developed into an enormous gallery with over 100 art works in the
course of time.
Today – eighteen years
later– it has become victim to decay. Although the East Side Gallery is an
attraction for tourists and locals equally, its history has proved a sad
political treatment with our younger past. In the mid-nineties the East Side
Gallery increasingly fell into oblivion. The subtle hope of some in charge
that the gallery may dissolve in the course of time seemed to prove true.
Even though the gallery has been put under special protection in October 1990
the paintings suffer dramatically. The concrete itself is fragile and partly
affected by the weather. It turned out that this wall had not been built for
“hundred years“. Reason for that is the corrosion of the steel inside the
concrete. Lavish restoration is necessary in order to stop the complete decay
of this monument of international understanding. When in the year 1996 a
discussion on the abolition of the special protection and on a final
demolition started, the artists founded the artists initiative East Side
Gallery e. V. that is devoted to the preservation of the painted pieces of
the Wall in its original place. The
initiative called out for the Wall-artists in a grand action in order to
restore the affected works provisionally. And they were successful: For a
short amount of time the Gallery was in bloom again. The public developed a
positive consciousness, also from an international point of view, towards
this monument of German and world
history.
Ever since, the initiative
puts much effort to creating a future for the East Side Gallery by raising
money through donations and sponsoring in order to put through a durable
preservation. More than 50 artists are members of the organization. Its
chairmen are Kani Alavi and Guenther Schaefer.
Due to the efforts of the
artists organization and the office for historical buildings two works could
be renovated and repainted. Guenther Schaefer’s “Vaterland“ (Fatherland) was
restored by the company LOBA, Narendra Jain’s painting “Seven Steps Towards
Enlightenment“ was restored by the Preservation of Historical Monuments
Guestrow. During this work important information could be gathered. Until
then even specialists for concrete had no models that could be helpful in the
renovation of the Berlin Wall.
In
the year 2000, the artist pulled off a
coup. 330 meters of the Wall, that is the concrete and the paintings, were
restored in cooperation with the German Lacquer Industry (Frankfurt / M.). About a third of the
Wall Gallery shone again in all its splendour. It cost around € 500. 000. The
costs for a complete renovation amount to € 1.000 000.
Besides
restoring and repainting the Gallery, the initiative has put the East Side
Gallery into an international picture again, especially to establish it as an
exiting meeting point not only for the people of Berlin. With its special connection
of past, art and monument the East Side Gallery is not a dead place but a
very lively and exiting one. Here, there is a crossroad that can and should
give the world new impetus for peace and international understanding.
Facts on the East Side Gallery
110 artist from all places of the world created from January until
September 1990 altogether 104 works of art. On September
28, 1990
it was festively opened by the
district mayor of Friedrichshain Mr.
Helios Mendiburu.
Built: 1961 / length: 1316 meters / height: 3.46 meters / weight:
2821.4 tons / segments: 1085 / painted space: 4196 m² / used paint:
4114 liters /
original color: grey / trough traffic since 1990: ca. 200. 000 people per
day, because Muehlenstr. is also the main connection to the airport
Schoenefeld.
Report:
Opening event of the East Side Gallery 1990 September 28th
2004 June 30th. Berlin - East Side Gallery. The
Olympic torch passed “Fatherland” on the way
from Sydney to Athens.
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