Artist’s Statement
A Photography Exploration
Berlin’s Wound: a Coverup, an Open Sore, or a Healing Scar
Every human entity leaves behind a vestige of its history. This exhibition is about one piece of Germany’s past, the Berlin Wall.
The Berlin Wall was constructed to divide; to separate people on geographic, political, military, social, economic, religious, and cultural grounds. The imposing boundary isolated half of Berlin into becoming an island. Then late one evening its purpose vanished. The barbed wire was rolled up. The land mines deactivated. The cement slabs were shipped around the world, as artistic trophies.
What happened to the strip of land under the former Berlin Wall?
Thirty-five years after its demise, Laura Krauss set out to discover what happened to this earth-bound landmark. Would it be hidden, paved over, and reforested; evident only in history books. Or would it be treated as an open wound, still painful for those who lived through that infamous period of time? Or would it be honored as a healing scar for the present and future generations?
During the four months of Berlin’s 2023-24 winter, Laura Krauss traced, on foot, the former defensive fences of the Berlin Wall (12-13 August 1961 until 9 November, 1989). Over 37 days, she traversed the city by public transport (S- Bahn, U-Bahn, and bus) to reach each day’s starting point. Using the circular Berliner Mauerweg, the developed foot/bike path, she entered a walking meditation space (aka, a pilgrimage). Collecting her emotions rather than trying to document every trace of evidence of the historic series of guard towers, cement walls, and barbed fences. The slow wondering pace allowed for a deep reflection on the lasting impacts of the one-time barrier.
Along the 100-mile journey, Laura Krauss captured 815 images - with her Nikon N80 camera utilizing analogue black/white film and colored images with my iPhone 11. The collection has been curated down with twenty enlargements in black and white and in color with small images to reenact the long journey.
In this sampler of the photographs, do you see evidence of a Coverup or an Open Wound or a Healing Scar?
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The artist would like to express her gratitude to the LINC Library for their support, Steelock for the loan of the fencing, and Greeley friendships. This exhibition of photographs is part of the artist’s interest in documenting cultural items precious to a community. Laura Krauss’ homebase is Pasadena, California.