German-Iranian painter Kani Alavi, against the backdrop of his mural, “It Happened in November.”
Painter Kani Alavi watched the fall of the Berlin Wall from his former apartment near the Checkpoint Charlie, the border between the Russian Zone and the American territory during the Cold War.
East Side Gallery
Looking from his window, he recalled that during that night, he saw thousands of people from the East climbed up the wall and crossed into West Berlin.
A few months later, Alavi felt honored when the local government gave him the permission to paint on the remnants of the wall, which is now known as the East Side Gallery — the largest open gallery in the world, with 1.3 kilometers painted segment of the Berlin Wall.
On Thursday, October 9, 2014, our RIAS group met with Alavi on the East Side Gallery. Against the backdrop of murals, he told us his stories as an artist and an immigrant from Iran.
Since the fall of Berlin Wall in 1989, he says that he has dedicated himself to preserve its remaining pieces.
RIAS fellows, with Rainer Hasters and Kani Alavi
Today, he is proud that the East Side Gallery has become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Berlin with almost one million visitors a year.
He also said that his famed painting, Es Geschah im November (It Happened in November), showing a wave of faces on the Wall, is now under heritage protection.
After the East Side Gallery tour, we had a special opportunity to visit Alavi’s apartment/studio. I believe most of us bought some of his paintings, books and postcards.
We ended the night eating curry wurst at the world’s famous Curry 36 Berlin, which was a walking distance from his current place.
18 Days and a Wonder 