Exhibit at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate evokes horrors of Syrian war

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Syrian-German artist Manaf Halbouni has installed an unusual piece of art in the German capital of Berlin. Three life-size buses, each standing vertically about 12 meters high, are on display in front of the city’s famous Brandenburg Gate. The inspiration for the work was a photo from Aleppo, Syria in 2015, where similar buses were used as a barricade against sniper fire.

For the artist, the photo was a powerful symbol of the effect of war on civilian populations.

“On the one side, everything was destroyed and on the other side, the civilian population was trying to keep going on with their lives,” Halbouni said.

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The six-year-old war has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and forced more than five million people to flee the country. Many came to Germany, which has taken in more Syrian refugees than any other European nation.

The installation, titled "Monument," first went on display in the main square of the German city of Dresden earlier this year. Far-right supporters protested against it, with some saying it was disrespectful to the city’s history. Much of Dresden was destroyed and then rebuilt after the Second World War.

Halbouni’s father is Syrian, his mother is German and he grew up in both countries.

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“For visitors, the point is for people to better grasp the situation, and the effects of war… and to reflect on war and peace,” he said.

The Brandenburg Gate is one of Germany’s most famous landmarks. The area itself was covered in rubble after the Second World War. In 1989 it became a symbol of unity when the wall that divided the city was torn down.

One Berlin resident said he thought the installation and its anti-war message fit in well with the Gate’s history.

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“I heard that buses like these protected people from snipers, and it makes me proud that they’re standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Because for me as a former West Berliner, the Brandenburg Gate is an important symbol,” he said.

The installation is part of the "Autumn Salon" organized by Berlin’s Maxim Gorki Theater. It will remain on display until the last week of November.

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