November 9, 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. To mark the occasion, from November 8th, 2024 to March 2nd, 2025 the Stiftung KUNSTFORUM der Berliner Volksbank gGmbH and the Stiftung Brandenburger Tor, die Kulturstiftung der Berliner Sparkasse, im Max-Liebermann-Haus, are joining forces to explore the topic of the division of Berlin and the view of the Wall from East and West in art. The exhibition Die Mauer: vorher, nachher, Ost und West (The Wall: before, after, East and West) examines artistic positions from the second half of the 1980s to the early 1990s, focussing on the period of upheaval around 1989/90. How did artists from East and West Germany depict and process the Wall in their works? What presence and significance does it have in the artworks of the time?
November 9, 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the opening of the Berlin Wall. To mark this occasion, the Stiftung Brandenburger Tor, die Kulturstiftung der Berliner Sparkasse, and the Stiftung KUNSTFORUM der Berliner Volksbank gGmbH invite you to a special exhibition from November 8, 2024 to March 2, 2025. Under the title Die Mauer: vorher, nachher, Ost und West (The Wall: before, after, East and West), artistic positions from the period around reunification in 1989/90 will be presented.
The exhibition presents works from the Kunstsammlung der Berliner Volksbank, which was founded in 1985. The focus of the collection is on realistic positions in German post-war art, particularly by artists from Berlin and East Germany. Complementary loans deepen the theme of the exhibition.
The Wall: before, after, East and West illuminates the Berlin Wall from two perspectives: temporally and geographically. The Wall is viewed before and after the opening; different views from East and West, from the GDR and the FRG, are brought together. This provides a multi-layered insight into a time of upheaval and new beginnings.
On display are works by renowned artists such as Annemirl Bauer, Manfred Butzmann, Rainer Fetting, Ellen Fuhr and many more. While the depiction of the Wall was often taboo in the GDR and limited to private, small-format works, West Berlin artists were able to take up the subject more freely and in large formats. The exhibition shows how these different conditions are reflected in the works and what role the Wall played in the art of this period.
The Max Liebermann Haus, home of the Stiftung Brandenburger Tor, is a particularly symbolic location for this exhibition. Located right next to the Brandenburg Gate, it was once a border area and the scene of the division of Germany. Today it is a place of remembrance and encounter – and therefore the ideal venue for this exhibition. The Stiftung Brandenburger Tor itself is also closely linked to the theme: The Brandenburg Gate, which gives the foundation its name, is a symbol of freedom and tolerance, of the unity of Germany and Berlin and of the opening between East and West. From this, the Stiftung Brandenburger Tor derives its mission to emphasize and strengthen the importance of culture for our civil society.