CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s Little Gallery will mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with “Beyond the Wall,” a recreation of a 2017 exhibit by German artist Stefan Roloff that was displayed at the original Berlin Wall site.

The exhibit opens with a reception from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 28 in Kidder Hall, Room 210, on OSU’s Corvallis campus. At the opening, Roloff will speak about his experience growing up on the “island” of West Berlin, surrounded by the wall, and how that influenced his life and artistic thought. During his talk, footage from the 2017 exhibit will be shown.

Rene Siebenhaar, a representative of the German Embassy in Washington, D.C., will also be on hand to officially open the exhibit and offer brief remarks. The event is free and open to the public.

Roloff’s original “Beyond the Wall” exhibit was a 229-meter panorama that combined still images from video footage of the border area during the wall’s existence with silhouetted portraits of residents of East Germany. The video stills were blown up to the full wall’s height, creating an effect that appears like paintings up close but turns photo realistic from a distance.

For the exhibit at OSU, the space in the Little Gallery will be transformed and the exhibit will be adapted for the walls of Kidder Hall. The gallery walls will be wallpapered with images depicting the still images and silhouettes.

Roloff, an artist and filmmaker, is based in New York and Berlin. He studied painting and video at the Academy of Arts in Berlin.

The exhibit will run through Dec. 13. The Little Gallery is located in 210 Kidder Hall. The gallery is open 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The exhibit is organized by OSU’s School of Language, Culture and Society with support from the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. Other sponsors include OSU’s School of History, Philosophy and Religion; the School of Writing, Literature and Film; and the Center for Humanities.

College of Liberal Arts

About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts includes the fine and performing arts, humanities and social sciences, making it one of the largest and most diverse colleges at OSU. The college's research and instructional faculty members contribute to the education of all university students and provide national and international leadership, creativity and scholarship in their academic disciplines.

Story By: 

Michelle Klampe, 541-737-0784, [email protected]

Source: 

Helen Wilhelm, 541-737-2146, [email protected]

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