Jordan Fields
Die Mauer Asisi Panorama Museum is in the Mitte district of Berlin, Germany. The Panorama was created by Yadegar Asisi, a German artist who experienced life on the East and West sides of the Berlin Wall. Asisi created a Panorama art piece of an overview of the point of view overlooking the West side of the Berlin Wall to the East. The historical and artistic remembrance of the Wall created a dynamic storytelling of navigating space around the 1970s and 1980s. This made me think of “The Heritage Of Berlin Street Art And Graffiti Scene” by Simon Arms, because he elaborates on Berlin street art and graffiti as a form of resistance. The photographs I have taken in the Panorama exhibit showcase graffiti throughout West Berlin. The western side of the Wall was occupied by the United States and France. However, Arms argues political elites (large, corporate industries) also profit off urban art. Arms mentioned the waves of artists in Berlin illustrated unique art styles to resist the government and a lack of freedom. Moreover, the resistance was a counterculture that rose against state surveillance. Die Mauer Asisi Panorama Museum impacted my understanding of storytelling and historical perception. The American educational system often overlooks or deemphasizes the Berlin Wall as historical event. My understanding along these lines was also impacted by “Women in East Germany Today” by louise k. davidson. davidson gave more of an American interpretation (framework) of West and East Berlin and the economic, social, and political aspects of women’s livelihood. As an American reader, interpreting scholarship on these subjects challenged my preconceived notions of German history.
Jordan Fields is an uprising senior at Colorado College pursuing an independently designed major. These photos were taken at Die Mauer Asisi Panorama Museum. Another photo was taken in front of the Cathedral in Mitte.
Gabby Rogan
Today, we visited Die Mauer (the Wall) asisi Panorama, a hyperrealistic installation created by Yadegar Asisi. This exhibition captures interwoven scenes of the Berlin Wall, a period of stark ideological division in Germany between West Berlin’s capitalist government and East Berlin’s communist government. The Wall installation itself visualizes the streets of Kreuzberg (where Asisi resided) within its inner city border, with a view of the death strip and East Berlin on the other side of the wall. The scenes he depicts are ordinary snapshots of daily life, but the partition of the city is especially apparent, as the developed city structures are still clearly visible. Since the Berlin Wall has now almost completely disappeared from the cityscape due to it being destroyed, sold, or given away, this panorama gives the public access to Germany’s contemporary history once more. This exhibit directly mirrors the themes of our reading, especially “The Heritage Of Berlin Street Art and Graffiti Scene” by Simon Arms, because he discusses how graffiti was used by artists West Germany as an expression of freedom and a form of resistance to East Germany’s communist government, inspiring a sense of liberation for the public.
Gabby Rogan is from Evanston, Illinois, and is currently majoring in History and Political Science with a minor in Education at Colorado College. In her free time, Gabby works for after-school programs at Colorado Springs elementary schools, sings with her femme plus a cappella group, and is a board member of the R.O.S.E. Foundation—a nonprofit that aims to uplift school staff in the United States. Eventually, Gabby wants to work in education policy to help create more equitable experiences for students across the globe.