European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Wall Art stays in Berlin an unidentified artist passes one of the 90 Large paintings on a Section of the Berlin Wall that has become known As the East Side Side gallery May tour world by Larry Thorson associated press bulldozers will be chewing up the Berlin Wall for months to come but if a group of artists has its Way sections of the old cold War Barrier will travel the world to be exhibited As murals. Niyear aft8r the wal1 was opened nov. 9,1989, one e most prominent stretches still standing is i decorated with 90 huge paintings each about 50 feet k and 111/2 feet tall. K gallery ase display of Wall paintings ailed sprang into being last january and the final Ai in a was a shed in october. The work of German Mikh .,e�r8 Lutz Rausch Bart it shows soviet president and ii Gorbachev turning the communist Hammer sickle Symbol upside Down and parting the Wall. Do it of russian artists Are represented. One by sakha m s a pens be portrait of the late Andrei Winn soviet dissident and Nobel peace prize Winner labelled simply an impressionistic turmoil of Blue and yellow on a Black background by japanese artist Kikue Miyatake is titled Quot Paradise out of some paintings Are cartoons some Are political satire Many Are on environmental topics or on the theme of division a the message that the Berlin Wall stood for in its 28 years separating West Berlin from its surroundings in communist East Germany. The paintings stretch for 4,491 feet along Michlen Strasse in the former East Berlin. The Gray Back of the Wall facing the spree River has signs beckoning visitors to come Over and see the political Art and buy posters to shirts and postcards. Quot we know Only that we can stay until the end of March Quot said Annett tyra who operates the gallery shop. Quot everything else is quite the artists behind the venture Hope to take a few representative sections of the Wall a each weighing several tons a to new York Japan and elsewhere to be exhibited tyra said but sponsorship Money was still to be raised. An East Berliner tyra said the Wall stood right next to her House and she had Long accepted it As a Quot terrible when the beleaguered Easterman communist government bowed to a popular revolution and ended travel restrictions a year ago in effect dooming the Wall tyra said Quot i had to Pinch myself to make sure i was t now she finds East berliners show Little interest in the Wall gallery and also Are not As idealistic about the future As she had hoped. Quot people Are forgetting the ideals and thinking Only of cars and Money Quot she said. Quot we need to remember the background and the reasons for this. We see Only foreigners and West berliners coming to see the Petra Reetz spokeswoman for the office demolishing the Wall inside Berlin said she expected the East Side gallery Wall sections could continue to stand. She said 81 percent of the downtown Wall had been taken Down As of the end of october leaving Only 2.1 Miles standing within the City. ,ties Are Maing slower Progress in dismantling the 81 Miles of Wall that stood on the Rural Side of West Berlin. November 15, 1990 stripes Magazine 3
