AngelaBraidi
IntegrativeSeminar2
Tuesday,April19th,2016
FinalResearchPaper
TheArtOfFreedom
TheendoftheSecondWorldWarthatlastedfrom1939to1945ripped
Berlinapart,demolishedanddivideditintotwoparts.Themostviolentwarof
alltimedevolvedintoanevenworsewar,anideologicalwar,inwhichwestern
democracyrepresentedthefreeworld,ledbytheUSAanditsallieswhowere
opposedtoeasterncommunism,ledbytheUSSR.Thiswarwasnolongerabout
possession,invasionandkilling,butaboutspreadingapoliticalsystemnomatter
thepriceittook.Itwasaboutbrainwashing.ItwastheColdWar,awarof
ideology,andconflictoverthepowerofpoliticaldifferentsystems.Inorderto
separatethiscity,itscitizensandeverythingthatcamealong,awallwasbuilt
thatsplitBerlinintotwoparts.
By1945,thecitywasdrowninginmisery,sadnessandatrocities.Inorderto
protest,maketheirvoiceriseandexpresstheirdisapprovalofthesituation,art
wasthekey.Artisthemostpeacefulandpowerfulweaponthathumankindhas.
AsGerhardSchröderwrote, "TheWallwasbroughtdown,notbyWashingtonor
Moscow,butbycourageouspeoplefromtheeast."1Duringthistime,streetart,
wasusedasameansofcommunicationbetweenthetwoparts,ameansof
expression,arevoltagainsttheestablishedsystem.Fromstreetartcamea
messageofpeace,liberation,andfreedom.Whenapopulationisheldprisoner,
1GerhardSchröder,ChancellorofGermanyfrom1998to2005,saidinaspeech
duringthe10thanniversaryofthefalloftheBerlinWall,in1999.
andoppressedforsolong,desperationcomestosavetheday.InColdWar
Berlin,desperationwasexpressedintheworldofstreetart.
Inthispaper,IwillanalyzethediversityofBerlin’sstreetartandstudythe
politicalmessageinit;byanalyzingthediversityofBerlin’sstreetartuseof
politics.ThroughoutthispaperIexaminetheevolutionofstreetartfromthe
1980’stopresentdayandwilldemonstratehowitshapespublicopinions
unconsciously.Inaddition,Iinvestigatehowthepracticeofstreetartcanbea
rebelliousactoraformofself-expressiontoshapepoliticalviews.Irevealhow
streetarthasbecomeacatalystforconversationinpoliticalissues.Finally,Iwill
examinehowstreetartwasaliberatingformofexpressionfortheBerlin
communityandhowithelpedthemgainbacktheircountryandtheirfreedom.
Streetarthasbeenpresentamongus,andincreasinglypopularforalmost
thirtyyears.Theemergenceofthisnewgenreofarthasalreadybeguninthemid
20thhowever,inBerlinthe“boom”forthistrendoccurredduringthehard,postwarperiod,around1985.Scholarsshalldebatehowtheterm‘streetart’should
bedefined:
“Thereisasyetnosimpledefinitionofstreetart.Itisanamorphousbeast
encompassingart,whichisfoundinorinspiredbytheurbanenvironment.With
anti-capitalistandrebelliousundertones,itisademocraticformofpopular
publicartprobablybestunderstoodbyseeing itinsitu.Itisnotlimitedtothe
gallerynoreasilycollectedorpossessedbythosewhomayturnartintoa
trophy.”2SaidErinWootersYip;ajournalistandexpertinthestreetartfield.
Streetart,isavastandcomplexmediumthatunitesawidevarietyoftechniques,
includinggraffiti,stickers,posters,stencil,streetinstallations,sculptures,
2ErinWootersYip.“WhatisArt:Vandalism,GraffitiorPublicArt?-PartI”,Art
RadarJournal(2010),<http://artradarjournal.com/2010/01/21/what-isstreet-art-vandalism-graffiti-or-public-art-part-i/>(16thApril2016)
2
wheatpaste,videoprojectionsandmore.Later,abigevolutionoccurred,atthe
endofthe20thcenturyandthebeginningofthe21stcentury,whichwitnessed
theexplosionofstreetartintocomplexinterdisciplinaryformsofartistic
expression.Streetart,isnowconsideredasbelongingintheworldofmodern
contemporaryart.
Ingeneral,publicartisusuallyperceivedasaweaponagainstsocial
injustice.ThefirstformsofgraffitiappearedinNewYork,in1973whenkids
gatheredinthesubwayandwrotetheirnamesinan“artistic”mannerofthe
wallsorthefaçadeofthesubway.3Forthewidepublic,streetartisstill
perceivedasandconsideredillegalincertainregionsandcountries.Somestreet
artistsriskarrestandpunishment,andtherealizationofeverysingleartpieceis
achallenge.Andhowartistsmarktheirterritoriesanddefycommonbelieves
thoughtheirartworks.Withthesearts,performersaredenouncingtheinjustices
theyarefacing;theyarespeakingtheirmind,inaworldwhereexplicitideasare
censoredandfreedomislimitedandperceivedacquainted.However,toavoid
confusion,streetartisnotonlyameanofrepressionanddenunciation,butalsoa
simpleartmakingthatprovideshappinessandfreedom.Noteverystreetartist,
whoisintheprocessofexecutionofanewpiece,isaboutdenunciation.
Thehistoryofstreetart,isperplexandnotverycertain.TheFashion
ModagalleryinNewYorkisthefirstartgallerythatshowcasedandexhibited
streetarttothepublicinOctober1980,curatedbyartistJohnMatos(akaCrash).
ThisexhibitionwasentitledGraffitiArtSuccess.4Kilroywasthefirstknown
3JonNaar,“TheBirthofGraffiti”,2008
4TiernanMorgan,“35YearsAfterFashionModa,aBronxGalleryRevisitsthe
LandmarkSpace”,Hyperallergic,6thAugust2015,
3
streetartist;heemergedduringWorldWarII,withhisfamousgraffiti“Kilroy
WasHere”,acartoonfacewithalargecomicalnosepeeringfrombehindawall,
alongsidehisnotorioussaying.5Theseinscriptionswereillegal,howevertheir
purposewastocheerandboostthemoralofthesoldiersduringthesehard
times.
Inthisprocessofidea,Iwanttointroducethenotionofinteractionbetween
streetart,thecityandthepeople.Inherbook,“Streetart,publiccity,Lawcrime
andtheurbanimagination”6,theauthorportraysthefeaturesofstreetartandits
interactionwiththeurbancityandpeople.Shedepictstherelationbetweenlaw,
propertyandstreetart,theillegalaspectsofit,anddefiancebyyoungartistsand
activistsoflaw.Therelationbetweenthesethreesubjectsisstillambiguousina
sensewhere,asstillnotconsideredasproperartinallitsforms,employingiton
publicspacesisacrimeandcouldbepunishablebythelaw.
Duringthecoldwar,numerousartistsengagedintheartofthestreetto
freetheircity.Artworkswerenotjustforthevisualbeauty,norforembellishing
thecity.TheseartworkswerethecauseofthefalloftheWall,andwereatthe
sametimeformsofrebellionandself-expressionfortheBerliners.
OnNovember9th,1989theWallthatoncedividedBerlinlostitsfunction.This
infamousWallwastheproductoftheColdWar,whichforalmost45years
enhanceddesperationwithinthecity.Thepurposeofthisblockofconcretewas
<http://hyperallergic.com/227683/35-years-after-fashion-moda-a-bronxgallery-revisits-the-landmark-space/>,(5thMay,2016)
5SamJohnson,“TheBridgeInGraffiti:TheStoryofstreetArt”,Another
Magazine,June2015.
6AlisonYoung,“Streetart,publiccity,Lawcrimeandtheurbanimagination”,
Chapter3.Routledge,2014
4
todividethecityintotwopartsthedemocratandthecommunistworld.Thus
BerlinwasknownasBerlin-WestandBerlin-East.ThisWall,renderedthelifeof
theBerlinersunbearable,familieshavebeenrippedapart,andeconomywasat
itslowest.ThedestructionoftheWall,cameasthebiggestliberationtothe
Berliners,itfinallyfreedthemfromtheirprison.Theycouldfinallybereunited
withtheirlovedonesandworkfreelyagain.Thebiggestregretisthe
disappearanceoftheart.BerlinersdescribeitasthefalloftheWallofArt.“Art
challengedconcreteandartwon”7,thewallproofofthefailureofthe
communismsystem.Indeed,withthepowerofartengravedonthatconcrete,
Berlinerschallengeditandboughtitdown.However,itisimportantto
commemorateforthegenerationstocome,theeffortputintothisconcretewall,
theeffortoftheseartistswhopaintedinthenameoffreedom,ofdemocracy,of
BerlinandGermany.
ThierryNoirwasthefirstBerlinstreetartisttodaubtheultimatesymbol
ofcommunistrepressionwithcartoonishgraffitiinBerlin-Westin1980.8
7HeinzJ.Kuzdas.BerlinerMauerKunst.Espresso
8“GraffitiInTheDeathStrip:TheBerlinWall'sFirstStreetArtistTellsHisStory”,
TheGuardian,2014
5
TheElephant-ThierryNoir-April1984
ThisimagedepictsthefirstactofrebellionbyThierryNoir.Hestatesthat
nothingeverhappenedaroundthewall,itwasasadwall,sohedecidedto
embellishitbyputtingartinthestreets.ManyAfricancountriesseetheElephant
asasymbolofstrengthandpower.Therefore,theartistwantedtosenda
messagetohisfellowcitizens,hewantedtoplacebackhopeintheirheartsand
givethemthelastbreathstofightfortheirrightsandfreedom.
Togetherwiththeelephant,Thierrypaintedseveralanimalsasmutant
dinosaurs,“becausetheBerlinWallandthepaintingsIcreatedwerelikea
mutationofculture.”9.Bypainting,onthewallThierrywascommittinganillegal
act,becauseinBerlin-West,paintingonthewallwasillegalandoftensoldiers
wouldchasehimorscreamathimtostepbackandstoppainting.
Inthebeginningthewall,constructedin1961andmadeofconcrete,was
bareandgrey,withsomescatteredgraffiti.Byendofthe1960s,thestudent
movementdiscoveredthatthewallwastheperfecttoolforvisualandphysical
protest.Therefore,bytheendofthe70s,thewallwasacanvasforchildren,
touristandsquatterswhodashedmessagesofpeace.Thisexplosionofartistic
9JonathanJones,“Graffitiinthedeathstrip:theBerlinwall'sfirststreetartist
tellshisstory”,TheGuardian,3rdApril2014,
<http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/apr/03/thierrynoir-graffiti-berlin-wall>,(5thMay,2016)
6
movementmirroredthe“Zeitgeist”-“spiritofactualtime”.Whichwasa,spiritof
rebellion,expressionandmotivationforeverysingularBerliner.
Theartistictechniques,usedwerenumerousandtherewerenolimitationsto
theartistimagination.Theseincludedchalk,felttip,paintbrushorroller,aerosol,
spray,relieformosaic.Theimaginationoftheartistswentevenfurtherwhenon
theoccasionofthe25thanniversaryofthewallanartistplacedapupilsdeskin
frontofapaintedblackboard,asasymbolofthelimitationsimposedby
politicianswhoforbidtouristandinhabitantstotrespassthewallorborders,
evenblockedtheirfreedomofthinkingandbeing.
Therefore,mostoftheartworkinthewallwasaresultofself-expression,
theexpressionofinhabitants’hopeofovercomingbordersorsimplytheirwish
fortheWalltofall.Eachartisticactwasachallengetotheartists;theworkwas
usuallydoneduringthenighttoavoidarrest.Inaddition,thelargesizeofthe
wall,155Kilometer,allowedmanyartistssuchasKeithHaringtorealizea
panoramicmural,alongsideThierryNoir.BeforethefalloftheWall,thegraffiti
wouldaccompanythepedestriansontheirwaytoCheckpointCharlie; “Berlin's
bestknowncrossingpointbetweenWestandEastBerlinnearbytheinner
Berlinsectorboundarybetween1961and1989.”10Encouragedandwillingto
sharetheirpointofview,moreandmoreartistswantedtopainttheirmessages
ofhope.Duetosurfacelimitation,artworkstartedcumulatingontopofeach
othercreatingasenseofincomprehensionofthemessagesandchaos.
Citizenshavetheirfamousquote“OvercomingtheWallthroughart”,which
means,thatartdefeatedtheWall,nolongerwithwarsjustthepowerofarts.
10HeikoBurkhardt,“BerlinWallHistory:CheckpointCharlie”,BerlinWallOnline,
2011,<http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/checkpoint-charlie.htm>,
(5thMay,2016)
7
Attheendof1986,ascandalexplodedinBerlin.Duethenumerous
artworksonthewall,touristswereattractedtoBerlinandwereamazedbythe
beautyofthewall.Theyforgotitsoriginalhorrificmeaning,evencallingit“the
EightWonderoftheWorld”.Inreaction,agroupofactivisttoldthepress:”The
Wallmustbeseenagainforwhatitis.Itisnotatouristattraction.”11SotheWall,
wascrossedoutbyahighlyvisiblewhitestripepaintedateyelevel.
PaintingALineOnTheBerlinWall,
1986
InadditiontheWallwasseenas“concretepoetry”,andanartformofthepeople.
Itwassubversive.Yes,subversiveinthesenseofitbeingusedasameansof
challengingtheborders.Thefamousmottoofthewallwas“Imaginationknows
nolimits”12.Indeed,artisticimaginationgainedtheauthority,itgainedthe
politicians,itsaesthetics,undermineditspoliticalmeaning.Duringtheprotest
forthefalloftheWall,anothersloganwasshouted“Letmypaintdiewiththe
wall”13.Theartistswereprotesting,beingarrestedfortheirwork,liketheartist
JürgenGrobealias“Indiano”,wholivednexttothewallandpaintedthebeautiful
phrase“TameBirdsSingofFreedom,WildBirdsFly”.The“Wallpeckers”,a
11PaulGanster,DavidE.Lorey.BordersandBorderPoliticsinaGlobalization
World(SrBooks,2005),page34.
12FrederikeMüller.«Berlinexploreropensdoorto'secret'locations”,DWMade
forMinds,11thAugust2014,<http://www.dw.com/en/berlin-explorer-opensdoor-to-secret-locations/a-17840334>,(5thMay,2016)
13ChristianGiordano,Inna-MariaGreverus,ReginaRömhild.ThePoliticsof
AnthropologyatHome,Issue2,Hamburg:LIT,2000.
8
groupofpeople,withhammersandchiselswhochippedoutpiecesofthewall
withinterestingart,forsalesorsouvenirpurposes.
ThedeclarationoffreedomoftravelwasdeclaredonNovember9th,1989.
Yes,dreamscametrue;thevoiceofartwentthrough,paintoverwar,artover
prisoners,andimaginationoverlimitations.Indeed,thesestreetartistsalongside
theirartworks,shapedpoliticalviewsandartwasamajorcatalystintobreaking
thistaboosubject.Thankstotheseartistswhoriskedtheirlives,wecanseehow
artcanbesourceofliberation.ForinstanceinthebookDoingDemocracy
ActivistArtandCulturalPolitics,theauthorsexplorethepotentialofartsina
societyanditscapacityofextendingdemocracy.14Theauthorclaimsthatstreet
artisacatalystinpoliticaldiscussionsandshapeinawayoranotherpointsof
view. Thisbook,displayshowordinaryyoungpeopleandartists,liketheyoung
Berliners,applytheircreativity,andvisionaryviewstoshapeabettertomorrow
andhaveabetterfuture.AfterthefalloftheWall,alotofpiecesweresoldto
museums,totheVatican,totheJ.FKennedylibraryasa“pieceofpeace”.
NowadaysBerlin,wecanstillfeelthestigmasofthewar;sometracesofthewall
arestillpresentinthecity,alwaysremindingitscitizenswhattheywent
through.TheEastSideGallery,thelongestremainingstretchontheeast-sideof
theformer“BerlinWall”,isoneofthemostfamousgalleriesheldinapublic
spaceknownas“thelongestOpen-Air-GalleryintheWorld”itdisplaysartwork
ofverywellknownartists.OnSeptember28th,1990,118artistsfrom21
countriesinauguratedthisexceptionalandsymbolicpieceofart.Itretracesthe
historyofthecity,themajorperiodsofthisbattlethatoccurred.Forinstance,the
14NancyLoveandMarkMatter.DoingDemocracyActivistArtandCultural
Politics(StateUniversityofNewYorkPress,Albany,2013)
9
fraternalkissbecamefamousduetoErichHoneckerandLeonidBrezhnev,who
werephotographedexercisingthecommunistritual.Thephotographbecame
widespreadanditwassubsequentlytransformedintoagraffitipaintingonthe
BerlinWallnamed”MyGod,HelpMetoSurviveThisDeadlyLove.”Toalways
rememberthepresenceoftheSovietinEastBerlin.
TheKissbyVrubel-paintingsays:“Godhelpmetosurvive
thisdeadlyloveaffair.”-1979,paintedin1990
Inconclusion,streetartmightbeillegal,rebellious,andsavagebutitis
alsoacatalystofhopeforthoseseekingforfreedomandliberty,notonlyin
Berlin,butalsoeverywhereintheworld.Nowadays,historyisrepeatingitself;
wearewitnessingsimilaruprisingsofartisticmovementssuchasthoseinthe
Arabworld,whereyouthareemployingstreetarttomaketheirvoicesrise.
Whenfightingisnotthesolution,youronlychoiceistheusepeacetofight,
injusticewithpeaceisthestrongestweapon.SincetheriseandfalloftheBerlin
Wall,peoplehaveunderstoodthat.
10
11