Friday, October 17, 2014
8,000 Illuminated Balloons Will Recreate The Berlin Wall
The Creators Project: You won't get very far driving from Berlin towards Kreuzberg on the second weekend of November. At "Checkpoint Charlie," the infamous Cold War-era border crossing, the road will be blocked by a wall of illuminated 11-foot-high balloons.
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I've explored art installations that included balloons in the past, and this is BY FAR my absolute favorite. This project combines so many of the things we would want out of a modern, outdoor, city-related art installation. The light effect keeps the installation tastefully modern, and provides a breath-taking juxtaposition when looked at in the Berlin city setting. My next idea, after getting past the amazement I experienced after watching the video, was concerned with how it could be environmentally friendly if the 8,000 balloons were planned to be released at the conclusion of the two day period, and the article curbed my worries as soon as they explained how the materials chosen were meant to be both long lasting as well as environmentally friendly. Well done.
The Bauder brother's balloon installation perfectly captures what art can do to honor and re-emotionalize an important moment of the past. The light of the balloons reminds me of the two vertical columns of light placed next to the World Trade Center in New York ("Tribute in Light"), which every year on September 11th marks the anniversary of those lost to the attacks. Both of these exhibitions exude a similar tastefulness and respect, perhaps because of their simple yet provoking designs.
I especially enjoyed how in the video in the article I could see the balloons slightly swaying in the Berlin breeze. It made me think of the balloons less like objects and more like the spirits of the Berlin people separated by the Wall. I also found the video fascinating because it displayed how the city has grown together after being separated only twenty-four years ago. The personal messages, which will be attached to the balloons, reminds me of the artwork and writings on the actual Berlin Wall. I love how people, especially people who experienced the Wall themselves, will be able to write their feelings and let them go--an extremely cathartic and beautiful experience.
I think this is really cool. It is bringing light, literally, to a very important piece of history. The only way history doesn't repeat itself is if people are reminded about it. It is very interesting that they are including videos and stories along the balloon wall. The lights will help give people a better look at what the Berlin Wall really was and how it divided the city. The views from the sky were really interesting because it gave you a different perspective and you could see how long the wall really was.
This project is so thought through, and looks so well done; it is astounding! When I read the title of the article, I was assuming that the balloons would look similar to the balloons in UP which is slightly cheesy. I was pleasantly surprised by the lit up white balloons which don't even quite look like balloons. Also the environmentally conscious aspect is so interesting. The fact that the biodegradable material hold helium longer is very interesting as I would assume the opposite. The whole installation is tasteful and such a great reminder of history. I am glad that the balloons block off the roads too, as I feel it would defeat the purpose if cars could still freely pass through as if the wall didn't exist.
Wow. I like to think that one of the purposes of art is to help us cope with the past, but I have never seen a piece that accomplishes it more beautifully that this one. The Berlin wall is such a blight on public consciousness that the ability of this artist to pay tribute to the time in history in a delicate and impactful way is remarkable. This reminds me a lot of some memorials I've seen, with the attitude of "yes, this happened. Yes, this was horrible, but we are still going to remember. We are going to use our past to guide our future." It's a hard thing to do with grace, and this artist has completley accomplished it. I imagine the balloons as ghosts, reminding us of what was, and leading us down a path informed my the mistakes of the past.
This installation perfectly captures the way that art helps us to reflect on and remember the past. Street art can be powerful, and this installation does such a fantastic job of creating a statement that honors the past without trivializing it. Though concerning the past, it is still modern, which connects it to the present image of Berlin and how it has changed after the destruction of the wall. It both sheds light (literally and figuratively) on past events and inspires thought and consideration of the future. I especially appreciate their concern about the environmental impact of the balloons as they are released, as it shows they not only thought about the past but the influence they are having on the future.
I love the idea of this art installation. The one design choice that I really enjoy is the futuristic and clean look of these balloons. The berlin wall itself was a crumbly, barbed wired, concrete, graffiti-ed, ugly structure. Having this clean, evenly spaced, representation of the wall is a brilliant idea in that it is something beautiful that people can enjoy the mere presence of. This beauty, happiness and comfort is everything this installation needs to be in order to properly get the message across.
I wonder how the project was initiated and who sponsored it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a project of Berlin as a tribute to the 25th anniversary. I am curious how individuals who were effected by the wall in its heyday responded to the installation. I noticed that the balloons blocked roads and other traffic as the wall would have so I could see how it could cause controversy. It is hard to think from their perspective but I could also see it being a rallying point of "here's how far we've come". The anecdotes and video installations sound beautiful and the idea of a patron to release each balloon is very nice. It is also notable that the images included in the article are renderings so I'm very excited to see pictures or video of the balloons' release. Here's an interview with the artist, etc. http://www.dw.de/berlins-wall-of-balloons/av-18000576
When the video zoomed out over the city and captured the full arial view of the line of illuminated balloons, I was taken aback at the magnitude of the project. It looks like this project was such an amazing journey for the artists and is also a wonderful memorial for the fall of the wall 25 years ago. For the residents of Berlin these floating glowing entities must be like ghosts of the past for those people who were around when the wall divided the German city. I think that the use of balloons is an amazing way to capture those feelings of escape and freedom that Berliners must have felt 25 years ago. The juxtaposition of images in the second video which showed Berlin with the wall was also very powerful. Its frightening to think that only 25 years ago Berlin was divided by overwhelming fascism and ideological differences.
This project seems very beautiful and effective. I was in Berlin for a week this summer, and the weight of the city and the country’s history jumps out at you at every other street corner. There is a very graceful representation of the Wall that runs through part of the city, with informational panels about the general facts and personal stories of what happened in those places, often about attempts to get across the wall, some successful and some not. This balloon installation is a wonderful addition to the currently existing reminders of the Wall. The history of Berlin is very evident when you bike from one end of the city to another and see the differences in architecture and urban organization from one side to the other, and this installation does a great job of acknowledging what cannot be ignored and celebrating the new, unified, diverse and fascinating Berlin.
This seems like a wonderful project as an outsider looking in, but I wonder how the people of Berlin feel about the "wall" being there even for a short time. I'm sure it will be freeing once people star releasing the but how about during installation and before most of the balloons are gone. It really is a beautiful installation and I appreciate that it is put in an environment where people might love it or hate it. I was quite surprised when the video showed the magnitude of the wall and I hope that once the installation is over there will be footage of the gallons being released.
There are a whole lot of good things to say about this project, and a lot of people have summed them up quite nicely in previous comments. This project is an amazing representation of how art can be used to turn a simple idea into a really creative and emotional statement about such a historic city. Berlin is such a unique city in that it is still very much shaped by both the second world war as well as the several decades it spent divided. As a person born after the cold war, it was very shocking for me to realize just how recent all of that chaos and revolution, 25 years is nothing in the scope f history, and so seeing this article really reminded me of all the experiences I had during my short time in the city. The project too seems to connect with the city and everyone living in it on a highly personal level, again the simplicity of a balloon paired with the hundreds of personal tales gives a very solemn look to the past, and the release of those balloons gives a very strong message of hope for the future. I wish I could be there to experience that installation.
I love the concept of this installation as it incorporates the history of the Berlin wall and the people affected by it with a way to transcend those horrible ideas of division from the past and move towards the future. I think the idea is great to rebuild the thought of a division line of the original wall without forming something that is harsh and concrete like the original partition between east and west, but rather a beautiful symbolic representation of how we've moved past those days of separation. I think the imagery created is extremely powerful and anyone who sees the balloon wall will feel some sort of connection to those needlessly separated in the past, but I think the real power in this piece is not the installation's presence but rather the disappearance of it. At the end of the installation the releasing of the balloons with little anecdotes seems to be an beautiful symbolic gesture, which shows how the people of Berlin, and of the entire world have progressed by breaking down the walls we restrict ourselves by.
Overall I think this sounds like an amazing well thought out piece.
This is such a powerful installation and yet so "simple". I put simple in quotes because the idea itself has very simple qualities however actually executing this successfully has clear difficulties. Regardless, I am not typically one to enjoy art however do have quite the respect for politically fueled art. I really enjoy when people use creativity to express their displeasure with society rather than violence. For this piece I find it awesome that it makes a statement of a terrible time by lighting up the history of this terrible terrible event.
I think visually and artistically, this is really cool. In terms of concept, i think its somewhat flawed. The berlin wall was a very dark time in germany's history so i think the idea to honor it with light is a little bit weird. I also think its kind of weird to do in general. If i was from germany, the berlin wall would be something that i wouldnt really want to remember. it caused so much pain and hardship. I would compare this to the 9/11 lights that also remind us of pain and hardship, but they represent the buildings that are gone and remind us to never forget the people that we lost.
A beautifully simple installation. The commemoration to the Berlin wall is definitely important and that event should never be forgotten. I wish I could be there to experience the lifting of the thousands of illuminated balloons. It reminds me a lot of lanterns and the releasing of memories. It will definitely be a sight to see and I'm excited to watch the videos of the ceremony. I'm curious if the stands will release the balloons all at once on their own or if it will just be up to the participants to do so.
Occasionally, one gets to thinking about how, with all the art we are doing, how are we actually bettering the world, or helping people? Sometimes it seems like we are not, I do mean to say that is all we should be trying to do, but if the art is not for personal expression, then what?
Projects like this one have real impact. For all of the terrible things that have happened in history, the best thing that can come out of it is remembering the event, and making sure that it never happens again. The installation seems like it will be good for Berlin, and good for people with those memories.
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