LICHTGRENZE from Fall of the Wall 25 on Vimeo.
In 1961, the Berlin Wall was constructed and completely cut off West Berlin from East Germany and East Berlin. The infrastructure was taken down in 1989 and with it reclaimed free movement between East and West. To commemorate this occasion, light artist Christopher Bauder and filmmaker Marc Bauder designed Lichtgrenze, a 10-mile reconstruction of the Wall. But, instead of concrete and barbed wire, the original path will feature 8,000 glowing white balloons to be set up for two days. The installation will commence in the middle of the night on November 7 to symbolize the how the original wall was constructed, which was literally overnight.
Lichtgrenze will be erected until November 9 at 7PM. During that time, thousands of volunteers (known as balloon patrons) will attach personal messages to the orbs, disconnect their strings, and send the lit balloons into the sky. The dazzling display will be eco-friendly, too. Researchers at the University of Hanover specially designed the balloons to make sure that they’re completely biodegradable.