Berlin Wall's fall will be memorialized across Wilshire (LAT) →
LA will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall falling by constructing its own “Berlin Wall” across Wilshire Blvd on November 8, and then having officials tear it down.
Effectively carrying out a re-enactment of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
I’m struck by the participatory nature of this event, but also question whether it will truly convey the depth and breadth of emotion and importance that the real tumbling of the Berlin Wall had.
The article quotes Justinian Jampol, president and founder of the Wende Museum as saying that the location of the wall is highly symbolic as “it connects downtown to the ocean..two cultural anchors of the city. Also, going through an area where there are a lot of museums and cultural institutions, it’s very reflective of what occurred in Berlin, because when that line was drawn through the city, it divided up the cultural institutions.”
Not sure of the history of LA, but I have a feeling that there could have been a much more significant location choice for the re-imagination of the Berlin Wall.
I love the idea of creating a satelite event to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall, but I’m wondering whether a re-enactment is the best way to communicate its importance.
