Description

The fall of the Berlin Wall arguably remains one of the most salient symbols of twentieth-century utopianism. Yet, countless divisions persist today. Published in conjunction with the exhibition Walking Through Walls at Gropius Bau in Berlin, which marks the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, this book provides a timely reflection on the emotional, psychological, and physical impact of living with tangible and metaphorical walls.
Through illustrated interviews with twenty-eight artists and artist estates from twenty-one countries across the globe, it captures their state of mind as they each evoke cultural, economic, gender, and other divides that permeate the politically charged landscape of our times. An essay by award-winning authors Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath furthers the conceptual framework of these conversations.
Weaving together key philosophical theories by such seminal figures as Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault, and Giorgio Agamben, with those of Edward Saïd, Benedict Anderson and Zygmunt Bauman, the authors assess what they see as a “lyrical formal shift” in contemporary practices that grapple with divisive power structures. Along with one hundred fifty reproductions of artworks and installation views, this book serves as a primary document, offering a panorama of artistic responses to realities of exclusion and separation and the challenges to overcome them.

Berlin, Gropius Bau, September 2019 – January 2020