I wonder, O, wall, that you have not fallen in ruins from supporting the stupidities of so many scribblers” – graffiti from Pompeii.
The unusual habit of writing on the Wall was praxis even in the old Pompeii, Romans catacombs, Maya’s temples as well as on the medieval Scandinavian churches. Dominant culture paradigm does not tolerate nor support huge diversity and variability from general, already established matrix. Therefore, an escape to public scene might be perceived as a volunteer act, which de facto is not at all. The escape itself is brutally forced.
Closure of the conventional media outlets had made wall an illegal blackboard, being the only media available to various sorts of minorities. Furthermore, the Wall becomes the most suitable spot for launching some new subcultures in a role of its full-mouthed amplifier against dominant cultural-political discourse.
Nowadays, in a globalization’s era, sewing machines haven’t proved to be good enough. Some walls are still destroying their work proclaiming separation to be one and only sovereign. Berlin, Belfast, Lennon’s Wall, Israel…
Obviously, the very aim of Berlin Wall founders was to deepen the existing divisions contributing it to some peace ideals. Distinctions between East and West could be easily read from the Wall – Grey and untouchable on the one side and speckled and available to all on the other. Western colorfulness did not broadcast a sound of joyfulness but instead voices of angry, hate, and revolt toward an oppressive and destructive world order. We are all witnesses that the Wall stayed standstill in spite of destroying aspirations of some(s). The East Side Gallery is the biggest open-space exhibition in the world today.
Soon after the announcement of John Lennon’s death, among baroque masterpieces on Malostranske Namesti in Prague, a Wall devoted to this Beatle has appeared. It was nothing more than a peaceful rebellion act led by Czech youth contra a neo stalinist regime of Gustav Husak. Bunch of students felt the need to express themselves there. But the Wall was quite small for them all. Graffiti were written and erased again and again, crucifying a golden graffiti rule – not to write over another piece. Lennon’s bronze head had been watching all those changes, calmly waiting for some better times.
Even in Northern Ireland some walls have their say, too. It was in 1970 when a boundary of security, ironically called “peace line walls”, was set up in order to separate the catholic’s from protestant’s boroughs and vice versa, mainly to suppress mutual conflict. The largest amount (13kg) of those fences is located in Belfast. And some of them have gates kept by special guards.
Probably the biggest paradox of 21st century globalization and the most vivid example of an anachronism on the current world scene is the Wall started building in 2002 by Israeli government. Political discourse of this controversy might be observed on a semantic field as well. The Israeli call it (The Wall) “Security Fence” and for those who perceive it as a segregation creation it’s just a “Wall”. That is how the world got another authentic monument of tragic human destinies and years that locusts have eaten.
Every society has its own local walls. Hence, easily read Wall diagnosis can get the exact human dimension. That diagnosis is the most benign indication of the social sickness itself. The hard decease may approach. And will. Unless we pay attention on watchwords and other scribbles. Walls can be painted numerous times but stains are irremovable and persistent as urgent call to react. It’s not a question of possibility or choice. It’s our obligation to let them be our guidelines to retrieve ourselves.
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