Walking Through Walls

Berlino, Gropius Bau
dal 12 Settembre 2019 al 19 Gennaio 2020

The exhibition

The thematic exhibition Walking Through Walls presents a contemporary panorama of the artistic responses made to the detrimental effects of human-made barriers, divisions and walls, showcasing works by Jose Dávila, Mona Hatoum, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Christian Odzuck, Anri Sala, Regina Silveira, alongside many others. Acknowledging the location of the Gropius Bau alongside the former Berlin Wall, the exhibition offers a global perspective on the physical and psychological repercussions of coexisting in divided societies. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Wall, the exhibition is a timely exploration of how barriers can articulate feelings of vulnerability and anxiety, and represent individual and collective identities.

With works by Jose Dávila, Mona Hatoum, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Christian Odzuck, Anri Sala, Regina Silveira and others

The catalogue

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