Monday, April 19, 2010

European Trip 14

Today's set of pictures were taken at the Eastern Gallery-- the longest stretch of the Berlin Wall remaining. It's been converted into a sprawling display of modern art, created by notable artists from around the world.

All of the images are supposed to draw on themes related to the history of the Wall and what it represented in relation to Berlin, the Cold War, and issues of human rights.

Here, for example, is an homage to the classic Picasso painting, Guernica, which commemorated a Nazi massacre in northern Spain. Needless to say, the connection between Nazi atrocities and Soviet authoritarianism has special resonance for the inhabitants of Berlin.

This one seems somehow suggestive of Berlin's lurid past, going back to the days after World War I, though I'm not sure I can say what the individual elements represent.

Here's another cool panel, in which it appears the working man is shackled by a hammer and sickle, a pretty obvious reference to the old communist regime.

I gather that this is one of the best known images in the sequence-- the car blasting through the Wall. Overall, the Eastern Gallery was definitely one of the highlights of our visit.

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