405 East 42nd Street
After the Berlin Wall was completely dismantled in 1991, most sections of the wall were recycled into building materials, but some pieces were sold, given or auctioned away. Given by Germany to the United Nations in 2002, 3 pieces of the Berlin Wall are currently housed in the United Nations Sculpture Garden.
The painting on one side of the wall presents 2 people reaching over the wall to embrace each other. The other side of the wall is a piece of graffiti work done by German-Iranian artist Kani Alavi. In 1980, Alavi had moved to Berlin to escape what he called an “inhumane dictatorship” in Iran.
The painters of these pieces of wall, Theirry Noir and Kiddy Citny, are credited with painting this piece of the Berlin Wall. Theirry Noir is a French artist who is believed to be the first person to paint the Berlin Wall, an act that was forbidden, yet revolutionary in transforming the wall and making it ridiculous, prompting its fall in 1989. His act of rebellion inspired others to do the same, and gave artists a voice for themselves.
Make a visit to the United Nations to see this piece of history in person! Don’t forget to visit their website to sign up for a guided tour that happens in the summer in order to see this historic wall.
