Sandwiched between Oberbaumbrücke and the brand new Ostbahnhof, along the former borderline that ended at the River Spree and Mühlenstrasse, is the East Side Gallery. This is a unique expression of Germany's past and hopes for the future. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, this section was transformed by hundreds of artists from around the world who daubed the wall with original pieces of artwork, some a commentary on Berlin's past, others more personal forms of expression. (This is me leaning against it, taken in August 2006).
The paintings document the cataclysmic changes in Germany and act as a record for future generations of the unyielding force of creativity that lurks beneath the totalitarian state. Unfortunately, the wall is in a poor state of repair, with some paintings flaking off the concrete whilst others have been chipped away by unscrupulous tourists and treasure hunters. International artists, led by Banksy, are now salivating at the prospects of transforming the Isreali 'security barrier', a longer and much higher edifice upon which to express the dreams of a new generation.
No comments:
Post a Comment