West-Berlin – art in the shadow of the wall
Fluxus and Heftige Malerei (Vigorous Painting) 1970–1980

The Berlin Wall divided the city into East and West for almost thirty years. It was constructed on the instructions of the GDR's SED regime in August 1961. Until its fall on 9th November 1989, the Wall was the most visible evidence of Germany's division into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

The Wall was an omnipresent feature of the cityscape in West-Berlin. Its monumental presence challenged many artists living in this part of the city to a critical artistic response. On the one hand, the Wall became a symbol of social and political torpor; on the other, it also created a (protective) framework for alternative social concepts and lifestyles, which were able to thrive with confidence in the shelter of the Wall. West-Berlin's lively subculture and island situation drew the young generation, especially from the 1970s onwards. Many came to Berlin to escape the world of material prosperity in the West German provinces or to avoid the draft, as there was no compulsory military service here.