Street Art in Berlin - Various Artists, incl. Mein Lieber and Alias

Street Art in Berlin

Various Artists, incl. Mein Lieber and Alias
20th and 21st Centuries
Paint on Wall
Berlin, Germany

            Berlin is a city often seen as a champion spirit for those who seek to “rise out of the ashes.”  After World War II, the Berlin Wall was constructed to separate the Communist East from the Liberated West.  The West, unsuppressed by the Communist regime, quickly adorned their half of the barrier with images and phrases that expressed latent ideas from subcultural groups.  When the Wall was torn down in 1989, a new form of expression was introduced to East Berlin.  However, because the street artists from the West were mainly immigrants and young anarchists, it was most commonly those “outsiders” who felt most compelled to take part in graffiti painting. 

            Today, street art in Berlin has become an accepted form of art, especially in the East, where citizens feel the need to express their new-found freedom from Communism and the underlying issues of society.  Although street art is diverse and hard to classify under one theme, it can be said that the original graffiti artists are or feel, in some sense, isolated from society.  However, many government officials seek to industrialize street art in order to increase revenue; this encourages the public to participate in an art form traditionally reserved for the marginal class.  It is claimed by many street artists that the involvement of the public will de-classify street art as street art because the problems of society can only be observed from the outskirts. 

            One famous street artist from Berlin who embraces the reputation of the marginal class goes by the alias Alias.  His work tends to avoid displaying the issues of society and instead confront the effects of corruption.  Alias’s art presents youth and adolescents affected by isolation, violence, confusion, and conflict.  Bomb the World, one of Alias’s most famous paintings, features a glum child sitting on a bomb with the fuse lit.  The bomb has the continents painted on it, as if the bomb is the world.  In this, Alias shows the emotions of children affected by the destruction of the world. 

            

Another Berlin street artist reputed for his marginal analysis is Mein Lieber (translation- My Dear).  Mein Lieber’s artwork consists of simple smiley figures interacting and telling a story that reflects a societal issue.  For example, Mein Lieber’s painting Sexism Go Home identifies the issues of sexism.  He does this by exemplifying the crime, and showing the shame that should be associated with it.  The genius of Mein Lieber’s work is that, in a simple image, he can portray the issue and suggest a resolution.  

Report by Benjamin Mills - 2015