Exhibition at Goethe in Athens

In cafe of Goethe Institut with Brandenburger Gate as background

The photos Heinz J. Kuzdas took of the wall murals painted along the Berlin Wall during a time period from 1981 until 1989 have been shown around the world, in particular in various Goethe Institutes, including in Athens.

Even while the exhibition in Greece wished to show more the aesthetical features of the Berlin Wall when seen from West Berlin, the political aspect has to be mentioned. The wall meant fore most a denial of freedom to move and to travel, indeed to see the other side and to verify reality with one's own eyes.

„Gott will Cash / God wants cash“ painted by Jonathan Borofsky

close to the Martin-Gropius Building in 1983

Richard Hamelton paints something which can be perceived as an anticipation of things to come. For during the Cold War, East and West Berlin were not separated only by the wall, but the level of consumption set the worlds so far apart. While in West Berlin KDW (Kaufhaus des Westens) had a variety of everything, from dolls to perfumes, the grey atmosphere in East Berlin was reinforced by stores which had hardly anything to show what the socialistic production had managed as outcome. This fight was not shaped merely at material level. There were others, for example, at the level of design which deeply penetrated the mind. Some designers learned from calligraphy to link written letters with the logos of any imagine. Thus the moment a special product could be seen everywhere as the advertisement strategy included bright lights, and especially around Christmas an abundance of everything from oranges to toys, this marked entry into the market meant literally getting lost. After the fall of the wall this special ghetto of luxury existing before only in West Berlin spread throughout the city and has kept everyone since then out of breath. Hence the tiny writing on the left side of the image reads as follows: "The Mood Index Continues, Berlin '84". Nowadays the European Commissioin deploys evaluators who work with indicators to measure even the happiness of the citizens of Europe, or even experts wishing to know the impact of European Capitals of Culture use such a term as 'psyche income'. Although it does not say who pays for that, the over commercialization of the arts does bring with it the 'Ghetto de Luxe'.

„Ghetto de Luxe“ by Richard Hambleton near Mariannenstrasse in 1984

Even when in a ghetto facing the wall, some rules prevail like when heading towards the wall, no faster than 15 Km per hour. Still, it would mean quite a crash since the wall was made out of cement. The special term for that was 'Betonplatten' since the wall was erected with pre-fabricated cement plates. It had at the top a rounded cap running along as if not to square, but to round off the enclosure and separation between East and West.

When someone writes along that cap '...ist Doof' (is stupid), such simple expression says it all what the wall stood for, namely something incomprehensible. For how can families be separated or a wall build right through the house so that one part of the family members ended up in the East, the others in the West or they were forced to jump out of the window into the West before it was too late.

Many memories exist with regards to what happened that day when the wall was build. The East German government gave the justification for it to mean 'anti Fascist' wall as if the East needed protection against the recurring form of Fascism in the West. That was the formula used until the wall fell, but the sense of something reoccuring is marked by developments at the end of 2013. Many ask whether or not Neo Fascism is raising its head after it had prevailed in Latin America until recently. Whether in Greece with the Golden Dawn movement enjoying according to the latest polls end of December 2013 a support of 11% or Le Pen and her party threatening to outdo all other French parties at the upcoming European elections in May 2014, the critical question is indeed if the German lesson can be transposed upon Europe?

Naturally learning German proves for many to be as difficult as for others learning Greek or Welsh, but since this makes all into strangers, it would be good to know such German words as 'der Fremde' - the stranger - and therefore land immediately as what Albert Camus described as being the risk of eyes being blinded by the sun when standing the highest, and not recognizing who shall approach one. For the question remains whether the other is an enemy or a friend?

Deutsch-stunde / German lesson by anonymous painter(s) at Stresemannstrasse in 1986

„Home of the fallen angels“ near Mariannenstrasse in 1988

„Analogy“ by Ron English painted close to Check Point Charlie in 1988

Text by Hatto Fischer, Athens 23.12.2013

Photos by Heinz J. Kuzdas

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Exhibition at Goethe in Athens