The East Side Gallery (Berlin)

The East Side Gallery is the largest open-air gallery in the world and maintained as an artistic memorial to freedom. Covering over one mile of the remaining Berlin Wall, there are over 100 paintings all produced in the early days of reunification as the Berlin Wall was dismantled. It was a spontaneous action by scores of artists from around the world who arrived to decorate the wall with their own personal vision of a brave new world. On cheap city breaks in Berlin, you will see some amazing modern art from every corner of the world in its purest, simplest form and all completed in just a few short hours.

 

The creation of the East Side gallery is like a moment frozen in time, yet the images have endured and are as fresh today as they were in 1990. Much of it has been refurbished due to the effects of pollution, graffiti and trophy hunters taking slabs of the wall home as souvenirs. Some of the graffiti in facts adds to its power as an example of art in action and a symbol of freedom with intelligent and insightful slogans. On weekends in Berlin, you can gaze and admire art at its most accessible and is sure to inspire a new generation of art lovers.

 

It is one of the most popular photo opportunities during short breaks in Berlin and is thronged by tourists throughout the day. After dark much of it is gracefully illuminated and it is a popular spot to take an evening stroll. The art itself is a mix of bohemian imagery, political satire, surrealism and graffiti like pop art and includes some paintings which have become iconic, reproduced on T-shirts and posters throughout the world. Much of the art is unsigned and untitled with the creators preferring to remain anonymous. The most famous include “The Mortal Kiss” by Dimitrji Vrubel and ‘Trabi’ by Birgit Kinder.