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The Wall Project hosted by The Wende Museum
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The Wall Project
When: Sunday, November 8, 2009 - 7:30PM to Midnight
Where: 5900 Wilshire Blvd. Valet parking available.
Greek historian Thucydides said: "History is Philosophy teaching by examples." We have been taught that understanding the past will give us greater understanding of where we are heading as a society. On Sunday November 8th, the past and the present come together to give us reflection for the future in an event taking place in Los Angeles.
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, The Wall Project has asked Los Angeles artists to paint their creative responses to the walls in our lives. The Berlin Wall, a physical barrier limiting the freedom of citizens in East Germany was torn down following civil unrest and an emotional speech given by Ronald Reagan on June 12. 1989:
"We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
In the 28 years of the wall's existence, 5000 people escape and an estimated 200 people were killed. Families were separated and East Berliners who were employed in the west lost their livelihood. This symbol of separation and isolation is now an inspiration of artistic expression and freedom of speech for the artists involved.
Details of this event are below:
On October 17, the Wall Along Wilshire, composed of segments of the original Berlin Wall, will be installed in front of 5900 Wilshire Boulevard, and remain on view through November 14. Before midnight on Sunday, November 8, the Wall Across Wilshire will be set up, closing off one of the busiest thoroughfares in Los Angeles in a symbolic recreation of the wall that once separated East and West Berlin. A ceremony at midnight will feature a performance by chanteuse Ute Lemper, after which the Wall Across Wilshire will be symbolically toppled by artists featured in The Wall Project. The public is welcome to join The Wende Museum at a ticketed fundraising event featuring a DJ set by artist Shepard Fairey and an intimate performance by Ute Lemper on the evening of November 8 in advance of the midnight ceremony.
The Wall Project: An Art Project Consisting of Two Walls
The Wall Along Wilshire will recall a stretch of the Berlin Wall known as the Eastside Gallery made famous by international artists who came to Berlin specifically to paint on the Wall. Composed of newly acquired segments of the Berlin Wall, it will be on view from October 17 through November 14 in front of 5900 Wilshire Boulevard. The Wall Along Wilshire will be the longest stretch of the Berlin Wall in the world outside of Berlin. Beginning on October 17, it will be painted on site and in public by the French-born, Berlin-based artist Thierry Noir, one of the first artists to paint on the Berlin Wall in 1984, and Kent Twitchell whose larger-than-life murals embody what makes L.A. culture so vibrant and renowned throughout the world.
The Wall Across Wilshire, a sixty-foot, stylized wall consisting of specially-constructed material will bisect Wilshire Boulevard at LACMA’s Urban Light sculpture just before midnight on Sunday, November 8. The Wall Across Wilshire will be painted by artist Shepard Fairey, creator of the iconic “HOPE” poster in support of President Barrack Obama’s 2008 presidential candidacy, as well as graffiti artists working with ArtStorm. Other invited participants include faculty and students from the art programs at OTIS, USC, CalArts and UCLA. The Wall Across Wilshire will be painted on the grounds of the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park on the weekends of October 24-25 and October 31-November 1. During these weekends, the public can observe the artists as they paint the Wall Across Wilshire and add their own artistic expression to the wall. Sections of the Wall Across Wilshire will be sold at auction with proceeds supporting the Wende Museum.
The Wall Project: A Commemorative Celebration for Los Angeles and Berlin
The erection of the Berlin Wall had enormous human consequences, separating colleagues, friends, and families. It spread fear, led to the loss of dreams, and the loss of lives. A part of the legacy of the Berlin Wall is that it became the world’s largest mural attracting international artists from around the world whose paintings made the Wall not only famous but served to intensify the plight of the East Germans to the world at large.
“The Wall Project offers an opportunity to commemorate this historic milestone, to remember the more than 200 people who died trying to cross the Berlin Wall from East to West, and to reflect upon the real and imagined divisions in our city, nation and across the globe,” said Justinian Jampol, executive director and founder of The Wende Museum. “On November 8th, we celebrate the creative spirit of Los Angeles and Berlin in overcoming walls. At the end of the event, our wall comes down, life goes on, and the traffic moves once again, as it does today in a reunified Germany.”
The Wall Project also celebrates the historic ties between the sister cities Los Angeles and Berlin, a relationship that is now in its 42nd year. "I'm proud that this important historical and cultural event is happening in the Fourth Council District," said Councilmember Tom LaBonge. “The Wall Project establishes many more connections between the Sister Cities of Los Angeles and Berlin – connections among artists, dignitaries, historians and institutions. I've worked for years to build the relationship between these two great cities, and feel this project is a symbol of this important alliance.”
Tickets: $250 (follow link above or Contact Rob Sherer at 310.216.1600 ext. 305)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Angeles-CA/The-Wall-Project/104496138772
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