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The Berlin Wall: Accidental Artwork?

The Berlin Wall was one of my earliest encounters with contemporary art, and one of the few that I actively sought out. I’d been fascinated with the Cold War since watching Deutschland ’83 and couldn’t wait to see history in real life. But when I did see it, I was struck by how mundane and incredibly normal it was, just a wall on a street in Germany. Some crowded around sections of the East Side Gallery taking pictures, while others walked past without a glance, on their way to work or to meet friends.

Until two months ago I hadn’t even considered the Berlin Wall to be art. However, since starting my course’s contemporary art module, I have been reflecting on and re-evaluating such experiences. In this post I want to explore the Berlin Wall, both as a piece of contemporary art, and for what it can teach us about contemporary art also.

The Berlin Wall was in no way built with the intention of being an artwork. Intended to keep East Germans from escaping to the West, it came to represent repression and division. However, from the 1980s, artists began to adorn the west side of the wall with graffiti, while still wary of the East German authorities patrolling the other side. It was an act of rebellion against the East German system and while much of the graffiti was simply scribbled writing, colourful murals began to appear, often characterised by symbolism that critiqued the wall and what it stood for (Grither, 2021). The two sides of the wall became totemic of the two systems of governance; one colourful, free and criticising; the other blank, grey, and voiceless.

My God, Help Me to Survive this Deadly Love by Dmitri Vrubel, 1990, East Side Gallery. The mural depicts Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker. Image: The Collector. Available at: https://www.thecollector.com/art-on-the-berlin-wall/

Test the Rest by Birgit Kinder, 2006, East Side Gallery. Mural shows a Trabant, a car symbolic of East Germany, breaking through the wall. Image: Jacob Kooistra. Available at: https://www.dreamstime.com/jacobkooistra_info

Upon reflection the Berlin Wall is undoubtedly a work of contemporary art. It has created entire careers, namely that of artist Thierry Noir who is often titled The Pioneer of Berlin Wall Art, with his brightly coloured, cartoon-like figures now iconic (Grither, 2021). Berlin Wall art has been given recognition by world famous artists, such as Keith Haring who was invited to paint the wall in 1986. Unfortunately, his mural was painted over just days after completion (Grither, 2021). Additionally, the wall’s art went on to inspire a wave of street art in Berlin, and vast murals can be spotted across the city today. 

Thierry Noir’s iconic style. Image: Thierry Noir. Available at: https://thierrynoir.com/essays/berlin-wall/

Noir on the East side of the wall after it fell. Image: The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2014/apr/03/thierry-noir-graffiti-artist-berlin-wall 

Keith Haring decorates the Berlin Wall. Image: Photo by Tseng Kwong Chi, 1986. Copyright  Muna Tseng Dance Projects Inc. Available at: https://espionart.com/2013/08/16/haring-paints-the-berlin-wall/ 

Detail of Haring’s mural, painted in the colours of the German flag. Image: Keith Haring Foundation. Available at: https://www.haring.com/!/archives/murals-map/attachment/berlin-wall-03

The Berlin Wall has even become a commodity, as well as a symbol, with entire sections of it having been sold off and now being displayed in locations of high esteem (Grither, 2021). Such locations include the garden of the United Nations’ headquarters in New York, and the European Commission’s headquarters in Brussels. Finally, over the years the Berlin Wall has even developed a conceptual element, something often associated with contemporary art. It not only stands as a symbol of history, politics and repression, but as a symbol of the “walls in the mind… the barriers that prevent us from communicating, understanding each other, and making progress” (Hickley, 2019).

Section of the Berlin Wall in United Nations Sculpture Garden. Image: Michelle Young, Untapped New York. Available at: https://untappedcities.com/2019/07/17/the-pieces-of-the-berlin-wall-in-the-united-nations-sculpture-garden/ 

The Kennedy Piece, next to the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. Image: Visit Brussels. Available at: https://visit.brussels/en/place/Kennedy-Piece-the-Berlin-Wall

Another section of the Berlin Wall in New York. Image: Nicole Cohen. Available at: http://sketch42blog.com/2012/04/art-on-the-street/ 

Following the fall of the wall in 1989, it was agreed that a section of the wall on the East Berlin side, in Mühlenstrasse, would be designated for art. In a poetic turn of events, this area, named the East Side Gallery, has now become the most prominent exhibition of the Berlin Wall today (Grither, 2021). For me, this is symbolic of the political and cultural change that was to take place in East Berlin.

Exploring the Berlin Wall through the lens of contemporary art has allowed me to explore contemporary art itself in more depth, enabling me to learn a few things. Firstly, just because something does not begin as art or does not intend to be art, does not mean that it isn’t. Secondly, I have realised how important politics is as an influence on art, particularly in recent years, whether it be political elections, actions of the authorities, or entire regimes. Finally, the most significant thing I have discovered so far on my journey to understanding contemporary art better is the importance of freedom. Through my research I have come to view freedom as a defining factor in contemporary art, from freedom of opinion to freedom of chosen medium, or the freedom to be deeply conceptual to purely aesthetic. No other genre encapsulates freedom in the way contemporary art does.

Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989. Image: Andree Kaiser/ Alamy. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/03/berlin-wall-30-years-on-five-german-writers-assess-bernhard-schlink-franck-geissler-ohler

Sources:

Grither, D. (2021) The Art on the Berlin Wall: Sentiments of East and West Berlin [Online] The Collector. Available at: https://www.thecollector.com/art-on-the-berlin-wall/ (Accessed: 5th April 2021)

Hickley, C. (2019)  30 Years since the Berlin Wall Fell, Artists Reflect on the Barriers That Remain [Online] Artsy. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-30-years-berlin-wall-fell-artists-reflect-barriers-remain (Accessed: 5th April 2021)

Noir, T. (2020) The Berlin Wall [Online] Thierry Noir. Available at: https://thierrynoir.com/essays/berlin-wall/ (Accessed: 6th April 2021)

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Jean Shafiroff and Vicky Tiel

Jean Shafiroff, prominent philanthropist and author of Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give, hosted a book signing for legendary Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at her Park Avenue home on January 16, 2019 in New York City.

Attendees included: Jean Shafiroff , Vicky Tiel, Martin Shafiroff, Valerie Steele, Victor dE Souza, Carrie Sheffield, Rita Cosby, Martin Shafiroff , Alex Donner, CeCe and Lee Black, Victor Martinez, Sonia Cole, Janna Bullock, Matt Rich, Ray Bouderau, Roy Kean, Ariadna Vera Bustindui, Ana Stone, Nicole Noonan, Montgomery Fraiser, Edgar Batista, Gilda Sacasa, Marilyn Kirschner, Laurel Marcus, Maria Fishel, Alejandra Sacasa, Ernest Schmatolla, Judge Jonathan Le Winter, Consuela Costin Vanderbuilt, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Larry Kaiser, Sibylle Eschapasse, Flo Anthony, Tony Bowles, Missy Hargraves, and Kim Renk.

If you saw Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts, you surely remember ‘the dress’ which Vicky created. If you saw Jill Biden at the Obama’s Inaugural Ball, you would have seen the same dress in red. If you shopped at iconic fashion retailer Bergdorf Goodman, you might recognize it as the longest selling dress in Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus (for some 32 years) – courtesy of Vicky Tiel.

After graduating from Parson’s School of Design in 1964, Vicky moved to Paris to start a career in fashion where she met Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Vicky introduced wrap dresses, caftans, string bikinis and micro minis. She went on to create the costumes for 13 movies. In the early 1970s she evolved from the “youth quake” sixties designer to a glamorous Parisian couturier and launched her first perfume in 1989 at the suggestion of mentor Coco Chanel.

While Vicky no longer designs fashion on a wide scale, she recently entered into an exclusive fashion collaboration with philanthropist, journalist and author Jean Shafiroff. Jean is a glamorous presence on the New York scene whose activities span the spectrum of receiving the Dina Merrill Hartley Public Service Award to hosting Oscar winner Colin Firth prior to receiving his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star for movie, The King’s Speech. She is the author of Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give.

Vicky designed Jean’s dress that she wore while hosting a book-signing event for Vicky’s book: The Absolute Woman: It’s All About Feminine Power published by Post Hill Press and available on amazon.com. In addition to the couture dress designed by Vicky, Jean wore a pair of Flawless Diamond ear-rings and cocktail ring courtesy of Chopard, valued at $1.5 million and which were loaned especially for the event.

Photo Credit: Krista Kennell/©Patrick McMullan

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Jean Shafiroff attends Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Jean Shafiroff

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Vicky Tiel attends Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Vicky Tiel

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Jean Shafiroff, Alex Donner, CeCe Black and Lee Black attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Jean Shafiroff;Alex Donner;CeCe Black;Lee Black

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Jean Shafiroff and Valerie Steele attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Jean Shafiroff;Valerie Steele

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Victor dE Souza and Kathleen Giordano attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Victor dE Souza;Kathleen Giordano

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Nicole Noonan and Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Nicole Noonan;Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Janna Bullock, Nicole Salmasi, CeCe Black and Lee Black attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Janna Bullock;Nicole Salmasi;CeCe Black;Lee Black

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Irma Santiago and Ana Stone attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Irma Santiago;Ana Stone

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Jonathan LeWinter and David Hochberg attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Jonathan LeWinter;David Hochberg

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Sibylle Eschapasse and Dr. Shawn Sadri attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Sibylle Eschapasse;Dr. Shawn Sadri

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Elena Ayot, ?, Johnsonie Casimyr and Flo Anthony attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Elena Ayot;?;Johnsonie Casimyr;Flo Anthony

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Randi Schatz, Maria Fishel and Kathleen Giordano attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Randi Schatz;Maria Fishel;Kathleen Giordano

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Jean Shafiroff and Chopard jewelry attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Jean Shafiroff;Chopard jewelry

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Chopard jewelry and Atmosphere attend Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Chopard jewelry;Atmosphere

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 16: Atmosphere at Jean Shafiroff Hosts Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at Private Residence on January 16, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Krista Kennell/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Atmosphere

Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff Hosted Book Signing For Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel Jean Shafiroff, prominent philanthropist and author of Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give, hosted a book signing for legendary Fashion Designer Vicky Tiel at her Park Avenue home on January 16, 2019 in New York City.

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essa menina é mto linda mto linda mesmo parece que nem é real, parece que é dólar (entenderam?) kkkkklllkkl like if you save xoxo

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like/reblog se usar/salvar

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rosetyle ou like

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@nobeollg made it 

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nicole kaiser icons like no post e/ou créditos no allyeways

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nicole kaiser

um masterpost da nicole kaiser pq eu acho ela muito bonita

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tinha postado no meu outro tumblr mas vou postar dnv like se pegar

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deem like meus anjo por favpr

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like ot cdt justinotclass

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Nicole Kaiser ✾

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entao minha gente eu tava procurando os icon q pediram dai fui procura da nicole e acabei salvando um monte dai fiz outro post pq aquele ia fica mt grande eu acho anyway s2s2s22

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