Replicas of historical banners – Nathalie Schmitz

Replicas of historical banners

Project

35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Curator

Kulturprojekte Berlin with Melanie Eichler and Tobias Schlage

Task

Creative Direction Exhibition Design

Lettering

Kompagnon Letters

Fabrics

Anik Çelikaslan

Constrution

with MBW

The celebrations for the “35th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution and the Fall of the Wall” marked one of the most significant commemorative events of 2024. The centerpiece of the celebrations was our open-air installation along the former inner-city Wall route, consisting of a thousand signs and banners. Among the posters displaying contemporary sayings and slogans contributed by thousands of Berliners, we seamlessly integrated replicas of historical banners from the 1989/90 era into the route. This concept of mixed slogans aimed to create a direct dialogue between past demands and today’s hopes while honoring the courageous individuals and the protest culture of that time. Drawing from over 100 original pieces sourced from various museums and photographic documents, we produced handcrafted replicas, primarily on large-format textiles for freestanding frames. A special thanks goes to Kompagnon Letters, Anik Çelikaslan, and the entire team, whose meticulous attention to detail accurately reflected every brushstroke of the original creators and activists.