A Glimpse Into the Unknown World

Artist Information:

Ulrich Rückriem is an artist originally from Düsseldorf, Germany. Having apprenticed and worked as a stone-mason in Düren and Cologne, Germany, Rückriem is strongly influenced by stone and other natural materials. His occupational experience with mediums like stone has served him far beyond functional purposes. In 1961, Rückriem left the construction business and became a freelance artist.

The very first time Rückriem’s work was featured in a solo show, He was living in Nörvenich, Germany. It was 1964 and the show took place at the Leopold-Hoesch Museum. At this time Rückriem’s work consisted of mostly wooden and steel materials. He has gone on to have his work featured in many other locations around the world. Within the book “Ulrich Rückriem : Arbeiten in Nordhein-Westfalen (Works in North-Rhine Westphalia)” by Kerber Verlag, It is easy to see that Rückriem has a very expansive collection of works that are proudly displayed in North-Rhine Westphaliua alone, not to mention all of his work being displayed around the entire world. Understandable, he has been called “one of the most important German sculptors of the post-war era”. He is also very important to the Process art movement.

What Was Happening in the World:

1989 was a year of great political upheaval in Germany, where Rückriem is from.  Imagine a city torn in two.  Families, friends and communities were separated by a wall and a war.  Unavoidably, there were massive street protests demanding reforms and free travel between the two “countries.”  East Germany decided to allow “new” laws to be made, professing to allow freedom of travel but having no intention of allowing full freedom and meaning to restrict the movement of East Germans.  With this intent, they took none of the precautions to move toward opening the border such as consulting the Soviets and letting the border guards know of such a change.  And so this set the stage for the mistake that brought the border down all together.  On Nov 9th, 6 pm Guenter Schabowski (a member of the East German Politburo, serving as spokesman) was scheduled to hold a news conference and right before it began, he was passed a paper with the “update.”  Because of the brevity of the update and the suddenness of how he was informed, he was not familiar with the new laws and when questioned by a news reporter, said that the border was to be opened, that “exit via border crossings” would be “possible for every citizen.” Then, when asked about when, he shuffled through his papers and then he said on live television: “Immediately, right away.”  This shocked the entire populace and people flooded the borders.  The confused border guards confronted with a sea of people, opened the gates. The entire city opened its doors and people brought chisels and hammers, music, beer, and food. Construction companies brought their crews and machines and attacked whole sections of the wall. Border guards picked up sledgehammers and battered the wall they stood on. Thousands of people, thousands of hands came together against the barrier and in one night the Berlin Wall was torn down.

What was happening in Bellingham (Or locally) during 1989:

There was a lot going on locally when this piece “Untitled” was created in 1989. But to tie into how the fall of the Berlin Wall affected us on this side of the U.S particularly gives us a whole new perspective vs what was occurring globally. Overall, Americans greatly celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall along with their German allies. The fall helped support America for a greater democracy, individual liberty, and laws.

Sources:

  • The Berlin Wall Falls 1989 NBC Coverage
  • “Mary Elise Sarotte — How an accident caused the Berlin Wall to come down.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 01 Nov. 2009. Web. 16 May 2017.
  • The People History — Steve Pearson. “The Year 1989 From The People History.” What Happened in 1989 inc. Pop Culture, Prices and Events. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2017.
  • “Ulrich Rückriem.” Koenig Clinton. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2017
  • Ulrich Rückriem : Arbeiten in Nordrhein-Westfalen (Works in North-Rhine Westphalia) by Kerber Verlag

Credits:

Kerry Cook –  Animation Specialist, Artist

Makena Collins – Editor/Producer, Photographer

Jillian Casebeer – Admin, Researcher