A partnership of artists, curators, and real estate interests is giving a seriously entertaining show this week to Street Art and Graffiti Fans with this site-specific exhibition of ingenious interventions of many disciplines. Primarily Berlin-based artists and spearheaded by organizers Señor Schnu, Baye Fall and Moritz Tonn, we’re pleased that we have a first-person account of the inspiration behind the show from the guy who came up with the name ‘Wandelism’, Denis Leo Hegic.
Wandelism – Spray Can Change
By Denis Leo Hegic
There we are, in the midst of a lively bustle at the production ground of the Wandelism exhibition in Berlin.
Dennis Gomez Herrmann. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Sparks are literally flying around as Olly is about to cut open a stretch limo and hang it in the air. Behind the shower of sparks Jerome and Señor Schnu are working on their large scale mural while Kitra is about to create a giant piece on a wall, which actually consists more of void then wall surface. C0MPUTERJAN is transforming a half of a Cadillac into a computer-controlled DJ booth and Ostap is turning a window into a tape-art piece.
Ollyollyoxfordfreak at work in his installation. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
Marina Zumi, who is currently installing another of her new light works in the exhibition, joins me and Suzanne Forbes, who makes drawings of all of us in real time. There is some serious good energy in the air, and I’m not talking about welding and the aerosol, but about a group project that is truly created and lived in a spirit of a community.
Marina Zumi. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
When I was asked how to name the exhibition few weeks ago, I merged the words “vandalism“ and “Wandel“ (the German word for “Change“). That’s how Wandelism (or Changeism) was born and how it started transforming itself into an exhibition, which is truly accepting, embracing and living CHANGE.
Ostap putting the final touches to his tape installation. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
On the grounds of a former car repair shop that is soon to be demolished, one can literally feel the constant movement and transformation of the urban fabric we all live in. Everything changes. Constantly. Change is evolution. Change is progress. Change is also the DNA of the art represented in the Wandelism show.
Ollyollyoxfordfreak . Señor Schnu . Fabifa . Mika Sitter “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Berlin is one of the worlds’ capitals and one which has experienced a tremendous change in the last three decades. The city, which was divided in two by a 156-kilometer-long wall for a time period of 28 years, was first unified in 1989 and then exposed to an incredibly rapid development ever since.
Interestingly enough, this very Berlin Wall has proven something that is still a valid topic at the Wandelism Show today: the importance of the freedom of expression.
Wandbrand. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
For decades, one side of the wall was an open-air gallery of graffiti and street art while the other (clean) side of the wall was a death zone. The failed experiment of division is historic proof of the importance of creative participation in the urban space.
On the first day of the opening, Wandelism attracted more than 1,700 visitors who, despite a protracted winter in Berlin, waited in long queues to attend the opening. The following day, 2000.
C0MPUTERJAN. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Nevertheless, the exhibition does not present itself in the usual language of superlatives (“The largest”, “The biggest”, “The best”), which is sometimes peculiar to these types of art shows. Instead, Wandelism promotes the notion of a democratic coexistence, where everyone is welcome and where all the different curiosities can be explored.
Emma Rytoft at work on her installation. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
“We are socially responsible and work with lot of local talents. That’s very important because not every exhibition of this format has a social aspect. Almost 90 percent of the entire exhibition is created by Berlin-based artists and we would love to pursue our vision in the future and transform more temporarily vacant spaces into art events like this” – Señor Schnu
1UP Crew. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Base 23 . Onur. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
“I like the speed. I paint graffiti-style but with dancers in public space. For that type of work you need to be really fast. And I like when you can feel the momentum in the painting.” – Herve Thiot
Herve Thiot at work on his installation. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
“You can not have ‘change’ without a little bit of ‘vandalism’. The one concept can not exist without the other one. A change requires revolution and revolution sometimes needs vandalism.” – Carolina Amaya
Carolina Amaya at work on her installation. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
Akte. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Wenu Crew, CokyOne, Jeron. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Dave The Chimp. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Stefanie Scherer)
Parisurteil. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
Rosco. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
“Our ‘Fuck Fame’ toilet is a clear message. Just take a look at the whole social media and online addiction which is going on. Everybody is posting every single step of his life, and from other peoples’ lives; A public run for fame. Without thinking about it we are sacrificing our own privacy. As a reaction to that we decided to take even the last bit of privacy away and created the Fuck Fame toilet.” – Ron Miller Art Collective
Ron Miller Art. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
Nasca . The Krank. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
“Somehow I do see myself in process of change. I’m coming more from this graffiti scene but I am also developing more and more into a mass-compatible area, so yes, I do see myself in a process of change. But I also believe that it is the entire scene that is changing and transforming itself into a more recognized and accepted art.” – Tobo
Tobo takes a moment to ponder. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
Hagen Schönfeld. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Felix Hülpüsch AKA HÜLPMAN. “Wandelilsm”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Scon75 . Paindesignart “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
Canion Berlin . Wenu Crew. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Oskar . Kish . Canion Berlin . DXTR . The Weird . WENU Crew. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Harald Geil)
“I am in this business for such a long time already. I am doing this now for 35 years. I know that this place will be gone, but lot of people will see it. And nothing can be contained forever. The awareness that the art which you can see here will be there just for a certain limited time, which you have to experience now and can not wait until next year, because it will be gone – that’s part of the deal and I quite like that.” – Loomit
Loomit. “Wandelism“. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Melissa Lee . Flo de Producer . Theodor Robinson. “Wandelism“. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Kitra. “Wandelism“. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Catherine Lupis Thomas and Bill Knospi. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany. (photo © Denis Leo Hegic)
Suzanne Forbes’ live drawings of Denis Leo Hegic and Marina Zumi. “Wandelism”. Berlin, Germany.
You can visit the Wandelism exhibition until March 24 and is located in Wilhelmsaue 32, 10713 Berlin.
Www.wandelism.com
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