1. Short text

2. Long text

3. Slowing Down (Entschleungiung)

4. The Mehringplatz Square

5. The Berlin Oracle - a timeless island in the city

6. The Role of the I Ching in The Berlin Oracle

7. The Exhibition

8.The Visionary

9. The Contributing Artists

10. Factual Information

11. Countdown - The Berlin Oracle

12. Kunstwelt e.V. - A Non-Profit Organisation

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1. Short Text

The Berlin Oracle

The Berlin Oracle – an urban art venture in the historically significant Mehringplatz Square at the beginning of the Friedrichstraße.

The initiator of the project, Bonger Voges, has developed a concept for a Gesamtkunstwerk (comprehensive artistic work), based on the history, the social and the urban conditions of the Square.

This accessible inner city artistic experience stimulates inspiration and a sense of joie de vivre. An oasis for lingering and reflecting in the turbulence of the capital city.

A twelve metre high gate sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle will lead the visitor to the circular shaped Square which will be surrounded by coloured plaques.

Asiatic wisdom as well as the life philosophies of international personalities inspire tolerance, understanding and personal vision.
The idea behind all this is to encourage people to communicate and to develop new life perspectives and to let themselves be influenced by wisdom.

The opening is planned for the end of 2004, marking the expansion of the European Union. In the accompanying exhibition one can already acquaint oneself with The Berlin Oracle.

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2. Long Text

The Berlin Oracle

Ask yourself a question that cannot be answered with a simple Yes or No.
Make your way to the colour that attracts you most at that moment 2,500 years of ancient wisdom will answer your questions.

This is the call that will in future meet the visitor in various languages at the entrance area of the Mehringplatz Square.

There, at the beginning of the hectic Friedrichsstraße Street The Berlin Oracle will come into exsistence. An architectural game that inspires one to linger, relax and reflect. An accessible, comprehensive artistic work.(Gesamtkunstwerk) An oasis of time in the turbulence of the capital city.

Ideas of tolerance and peace are conveyed in a playful way by The Berlin Oracle. An interest for other cultures will be awakened and different life perspectives will be recognised.

Formerly known as The Belle-Alliance Platz, The Mehringplatz used to be in the same prestigous league as the Pariser Platz at the Brandenburg Gate aand the Leipziger/Potsdamer Paltz as little as sixty years ago. It used to be one of the most lively and beautiful Squares in Berlin before its destruction during the Second World War. The proximity of the Berlin Wall was however responsible for the Square’s loss in significance. Now, since the fall of the Wall it has begun to grow in importance again.

The initiator of the venture, Bonger Voges, has developed a concept for a comprehensive artistic work, based on the history and the social and urban conditions of the Square.
A monumental gate sculpture by the artistic Niki de Saint Phalle will symbolically depict the historical South gate to Berlin.

Installed on the roofs around the buildings that encircle the Square are huge metal flags that follow the order of the colour spectrum. The colours reflect the many-sidedness of all cultures and their peoples, thus symbolising the harmonious whole that exists from many smaller parts. It serves the additional function of representing the sixty-four hexagramms of the I Ching.

The colour chosen by the visitor will lead him to a plaque on the ground, designed by the artist Helge Leiberg. On this plaque he will find inspiration from the I Ching, a 2,500 year old book of Asian wisdom, and the oldest text on the art of communication.

Heading to the installation through the pedetrian zone of Friedrichstrasse the visitor will find life philosophies of European personalities such as Vaclav Havel, Nils Bohr or Ingeborg Bachmann - people who represent human value and the realisation of a vision. They stimulate tolerance, understanding and self-vision. What lies beneath all this is an encouragement to communicate, develop new life perspectives and be influenced by human values.

The opening is planned for the end of 2004, marking the expansion of the European Union.

More detailed information about the art venture is available at the exhibition:
“The Berlin Oracle – Visions begin with Questions”
Kunstwelt e.V. – Friedrichstraße 246- 10969 Berlin
Tel:+49/30/ 252 94 666, Fax: +49/30/ 252 94 688
Underground Hallesches Tor, Opening Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11am. – 5pm. Free Entry

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3. Slowing Down (Entschleunigung)

The Berlin Oracle will become a timeless island in the hectic city – a window of time for the creation of visions.

The life we lead is a fast one. Time flies and people race from one appointment to the next, especially in the city. Stress eats into any free time and personal needs must be cut to shape and made to fit in with our schedules.

This hectic pace is also prevalent in the Friedrichstadt area of Berlin. Publishing houses, government ministries, warehouses and company headquarters, embassies, galleries and restaurants all extend endlessly side by side. In the middle of it, cars and buses pile up. Bicycle couriers whiz about and every minute of the day the entrances of the Underground spit out relentless masses of people.
It is precisely in these kinds of places that a subconscious need for peace and relaxation is tangible. One longs for the opportunity to reflect upon “the important things in life”. Upon human closeness, self-realisation and balance, renewal and inspiration.

“Slowing down” seems to be the phrase on everyone’s lips these days. One searches for places where time is suspended, places that allow space for thoughts and feeling, facilitating a return to simplicity. Places where one can leave feeling invigorated.

Night lounges have grown out of this need, areas where one can read Sven Nadolny’s The Discovery of Slowness whilst nestling on a snug sofa. Easy listening music with soft tones, half beats and a saxophone accompaniment provides the perfect soundtrack of leisure to the metropolis.

Where however, can one encounter the need for “slowing down” in the public domain?

The Berlin Oracle will become a public site of contemplation and inspiration in the heart of Berlin. A site where one can bathe in slow motion, removed from the hectic of the roller coaster city for a few moments, to leave again strong and smiling.

The Berlin Oracle at the Mehringplatz Square offers a platform for self-awareness, for concentration on the essentials; that is, the reflection of oneself. The Chinese wisdom of the I Ching and the hotpot of international life philosophies here broaden one’s horizons, ideas and visions. Quotations from those who have realised a vision of their own will lend encouragement to those pursuing a vision or inspire those to find their own private vision.

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4 The Mehringplatz Square

The urban art venture will come into existence at the beginning of the busy Friedrichstrasse, the Mehringplatz Square. The vision to create a site of communication, wisdom and peace will be realised here. This will occur in a historically important centre of Berlin that has however seriously neglected since the Second World War.

The Mehringplatz is a square that gives the impression of being closed off to the rest of the world and existing entirely within itself. It is only a few steps off the beaten track into this inner-city oasis, a time bubble within the hubbub of the metropolis. Retreating back for once, leaving the world behind the square, one lets oneself be instinctively drawn towards a piece of wisdom. Leaving the main stream in order to make time for a detour for oneself. Time for a few moments of private contemplation and reflection, which can lead to a truly meaningful conclusion. These steps make up the path to The Berlin Oracle.

Once known as the Belle Alliance Square, the Mehringplatz Square as it stands today has lost much of its original appeal. Sixty y ears ago however, it would have been in the same league as the Pariser Platz at the Brandenburg gate and the Leipzig / Potsdam Square. Along with its centrality, its spacious parks and the picturesque setting of its magnificent old buildings made the Belle Alliance Square one of the most lively and beautiful squares in Berlin.

The peace column, named Irene by Cantian and Rauch, is the only ghostly reminder of the glory days of the Belle Alliance Square. The Square was completely destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt by Hans Scharoun in its original circular form. Following Scharoun’s death, Werner Düttmann completed the planned idea of a series of residential and commercial buildings, constructed in accordance with the style of the time. Unfortunately the Square’s proximity to the Berlin Wall rendered a fatal blow to its proposed image of centrality and modernity. Due to its location at the very outer edge of West Berlin, the area became increasingly run down and neglected.

Despite long since regaining centrality since reunification, the Mehringplatz Square has not yet managed to regain its original significance nor develop its new importance. The Square is “brushed over” in the most literal sense. It is simply crossed over to get to the museums, theatres, libraries and galleries that surround it. The Berlin Oracle will put an end to this tristesse. The art venture will capture the potential of the Mehringplatz Square, revitalising it anew. The visitor will experience a unique interplay of art, architecture, wisdom and play.

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5. The Berlin Oracle- A Timeless Island in the City

The Berlin Oracle is an architectural game for lingering, relaxing and reflecting. An energetic, accessible, cumulative work of art. A space where play and communication interact. An area of peacefulness – in the middle of the comings and goings of the capital city.

“The Berlin Oracle will become a symbol
for joy, knowledge and
the realisation of vision, for tolerance and
internationality, for a bridge between East and West
in the global as well as the European sense.”

(Bonger Voges – Concept Artist and Initiator of The Berlin Oracle)

The Square will be visible even from a distance, enhanced by a twelve metre high gateway sculpture of steel and mirrored glass by the recently deceased artist Niki de Saint Phalle.

In both entrances, plaques elucidating the rules of the game are found in the ground. Each of these metal plaques (one square metre in length) carries the following inscription in many different languages:

“Ask yourself a Question
That cannot be answered with a simple Yes or No
Make your way to the colour
That attracts you most at that moment
2,500 years of ancient wisdom
Will answer your Questions”

Sixty-four metal squares, ordered according to the sequence of the colour spectrum are installed on the roofs of the building that encircle the square. The colours reflect the diversity of all cultures and peoples, symbolising a harmonious whole, consisting of many different parts. In addition the sixty-four colours form a corresponding visual interpretation of the sixty- four hexagrames of the I Ching.

The colour chosen by the visitor will lead him to a written plaque that is found at ground level. On this he will find inspiration and information originating from Asian wisdom that is centuries old: This is the wisdom of the I Ching, the oldest book on the art of communication.

Corresponding to the words of wisdom, quotations and life philosophies of sixty- four international personalities form a personal content to the scripted plaques.

The testimonies of Nelson Mandela and Vaclav Havel for example, stand for human worth and the realisation of vision, promoting tolerance, understanding and vision.

The fundamental idea behind all this is the encouragement to communicate, urging us to embrace new perspectives and allow ourselves to be influenced by human wisdom.

An historical fountain and peace column are located in the centre of the Square. Keeping with the spirit of The Berlin Oracle, this will become a lucky fountain similar to the Fontana di Trevi in Rome. A signpost encompasses the fountain, guiding the way to the numerous nearby museums and theatres. Just like a compass, it shows both the direction and distance to the cultural sights.

Plans are also underfoot for a “Chinese Wall”, on which the visitor may write, just like a visitor book, thus immortalising his visit to the Square. Paintings cover the walls on the Mehringplatz Square buildings.
Spanning over the Southern entrance to the Square is a concrete banner, contracted to the artist Udo G. Cordes on which the maxim “Know Thyself” in Greek lettering is displayed. A photographic installation accompanies this, a pastiche of prominent people, each turning and showing the back of his head.

Parallel to the installation is the accompanying exhibition, “The Berlin Oracle- Gateway to the Friedrichstraße”. The Berlin Oracle - An apex of international perspectives, the diversity and singularity of different countries, people and their histories, Asian wisdom in the middle of European history. The epitome of international understanding.

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6. The Role of the I Ching in The Berlin Oracle:

The I Ching supplies the answers in the Game Of Wisdom of The Berlin Oracle. With it, the visitor is empowered to develop personal visions and begin a voyage of self-discovery.

The I Ching in the installation serves to ask questions, or in other words to sharpen our own personal circumspection. The I Ching gives the visitor an answer to a question, lending advice or inspiration. Like a mirror, it reflects both the inner and outer world of the diviner.
The concept of reflection is one of the main tenants of the I Ching and in integrating the principles of Chinese wisdom, The Berlin Oracle invites one to pause, play, and reflect.

This “return to the inner-self” is similarly reflected in the lingering architecture of the Mehringplatz Square.

The I Ching is the oldest book about communication and wisdom. It translates as “The Book of Changes”. In China it became the basis of the two great schools of Confucianism and Taoism. Moreover, it formed the basic principles of all Chinese science and art forms.

In the beginning, the I Ching was not a book, but rather a numerical system arranged in sixty-four signs, each with six lines. These were known as hexagrames. The hexagrames were then divided into eight principle groups (trigagrames). The geometry of the Mehringplatz Square corresponds exactly to the arithmetic of the I Ching and is a natural framework for a bridge between East and West; Western architecture and Asian wisdom.

Each hexagrame reflects a certain aspect of reality and is an expression of the interaction between Heaven and Earth. The wisdom of the Oracle that accompanies each hexagrame is deduced by observing this cosmic interaction. The wisdom obtained demonstrates the fundamental structures of our inner and outer worlds in terms of the juxtapositional nature of Yin and Yang. Simultaneously, various methods of understanding the relationship between these structures exist.

The wisdom of the I Ching was set in written form as early as the eleventh century B.C. The Evangelical missionary organisation of Berlin assigned the theologian Richard Wihlem the task of translating the Chinese scripts in 1899. The translation led to the book’s wider accessibility in Western Europe.

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7. The Exhibition

To explain and illustrate the urban art venture The Berlin Oracle, there is an exhibition in the Friedrichstraße 246. In the premises directly at the Mehringplatz Square, the visitor can acquaint himself not only with the historical development of the Square, but also the conceptual and spacial design of the art installation.

Numerous photographs, maps and texts donated by various sources such as the Kreuzberg Museum. It allows the visitor to journey back into the history of the Mehringplatz Square. The exhibition serves as an exemplary elucidation of the unpredictability of German history since 1730. Thus critically informed, the visitor gains an insight into the future of the Mehringplatz Square – The Berlin Oracle.

Displayed in the entrance area of the exhibition is a large scale picture of the Sungate by Niki de Saint Phalle, which is set to mark the entrance to The Berlin Oracle. The model of the Mehringplatz Square by the sculptor Rainer Fest envisions exactly the plan of The Berlin Oracle. (Scale 1:100).

The visitor may first experience The Berlin Oracle by stepping on the room-sized reproduction of the installation in the exhibition. The design of the Oracle Square is recreated here. A sample metal plaque explaining the rules of the game and a deep red board in its original size contribute to the life-like depiction of the art venture. Information concerning the I Ching and the colour plaques, as well as important ink drawings and drafts for the metal compositions by the artist Helge Leiberg round off the visitor´s first encounter with the Berlin Oracle.

Two six-part drawings by the painter Mao Marinano Rinaldi Goni, entitled “Spreehexen” (The Witches of the Spree) and “Friedrichstraße” are also on display, along with two drawings by the artist Elvira Bach. These art works have been inspired by the concept of The Berlin Oracle and its incongruous urban backdrop. The House of Visions also exhibits alternating displays and events on the themes of urban environmental protection, social aspects of the city, town planning, visions and colour concepts.

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8. The Visionary

The conceptual artist Bonger Voges is the initiator of the art venture The Berlin Oracle.

Bonger Voges, born in Einbeck, Lower Saxony studied classical dance in the USA, Holland and Germany. He became a co- founder of Germany’s Hallenkultur (Theatre outside Theatre) by spearheading the Theater Negerhalle in the 1980s. Voges became chiefly known as the artistic supervisor and event organiser of festivals such as “Festival der Sinne” (The Festival of Senses) and “Macht der Nacht” (The Power of the Night). (Co-organiser). He guest starred in his productions in many international festivals.

Voges discovered the Mehringplatz Square whilst attending a festival in Berlin. He was astounded by the run down and depressing condition of the Square and it gradually began to occupy his thoughts as he crossed it. Voges sought a way to enhance the positive potential of the Square, its peace and calm, through an artistic project. Inspired in equal measure by the historical significance of the Belle Alliance Square as well as the architecture of Scharoun and Düttmann, he came up with an aesthetic appreciation of both.

Voges’ idea is the creation of a site that “speaks”, with whom one can communicate, a place that has a sensual, emotive and novel presence. For months, Voges studied the architecture of the Square, its social structure and history, as well as 60s and 70s art forms.

The Chinese book of wisdom, the I Ching, which came into his hands at the same time, proved to be the key to the conception of the art venture.

A venture where freedom, tolerance and openness play a pivotal role.

Thus Voges developed the conception of The Berlin Oracle, an urban art venture, a place of art, wisdom, play and calm in the heart of Berlin.

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9. The Contributing Artists

Niki de Saint Phalle
Niki de Saint Phalle has designed the new South gate of Berlin at the beginning of the Friedrichstraße, a twelve metre high sculpture of mirrored glass and stainless steel.
Voges choice of Niki de Saint Phalle for his venture was a careful one. On the one hand she is the epitome of seventies architectural style, on the other, her art enjoys a general accessibility without being trivial. The “human immediacy” of her art facilitates the art venture in its goal to speak to and integrate every visitor.
Niki de Saint Phalle was born in 1930 in Neuilly-Sur-Seine . The renouned and impressive artist joined the Nouveau Réaliste movement 1961, joining the ranks of Arman, César, Yves Klein and Jean Tinguely. In 1997 she officially opened one of her principle masterpieces, the Tarot Garden in Garaviccio in Tuscany. Saint Phalles most celebrated figures are the “nanas”, large, colourful and voluptuous female sculptures. Niki de Saint Phalle died in June 2002 in San Diego.

Helge Leiberg
Helge Leiberg designs the sixty-four caligraphical figures for the text boards that interpret each
aphorism in a pictoral and corporeal language. Leiberg’s art lends the project a timeless European interpretation of Asian texts.
Helge Leiberg was born in 1957 in Dresden. Since completing his studies in painting, graphics and art history in Dresden he has taken part in many group and solo exhibitions. The graphic and pictorial work of Leibergs is always in conjunction with music, performance and film. He is above all interested in the portrayal of human movement.

Professor Kurt Weidemann
Prof. Kurt Weidemann, born in 1922 in Masuren, Poland, acts as the head of the jury of the design competition for the project and advises The Berlin Oracle on the specialist areas of typography. Voges wanted a unique typeface for the written plaques and so approached Professor Weidemann. Weidemann is one of the leading typographers and designers in Europe.

Lebensart
Lebensart PLC is contracted by The Berlin Oracle to work out a concept for the graphic design of the plaques that will be installed at the Mehringplatz Square. The Lebensart Global Network PLC is an international marketing company that operates in the fields of communication, media and design.

Rainer Fest
The sculptor Rainer Fest created the model of the art installation for the permanent exhibition and in 1999 developed a proposal for the configuration of the written plaques at the Square. Since then he has advised the project. Rainer Fest was born in Berlin in 1953. Rock, water, light and sound form the basic elements of his sculptural oeuvre.

Elvira Bach
Elvira Bach has dedicated two of her pictures to The Berlin Oracle. Born in Taunus, Germany in 1951, Elvira Bach is one of the most significant personalities of the Neoexpressionist movement. Bach specialises in the portrayal of women whose bodies are angular and masculine.

Udo G. Cordes
Udo G. Cordes will mount the installation entitled “Know Thyself” at the Southern entrance of the Square. These guiding words, which will be written in Greek lettering and adorning the outer façade of the buildings, corresponds to the regalia that originated in Delphi. Udo G. Cordes was born in 1947 in Recklinghausen. Since 1978 he has worked as a freelance sculptor and taken part in many international collective and solo exhibitions.

Mao Mariano Rinaldi-Goni
Mao Mariano Rinaldi-Goni has created two six-piece paintings for The Berlin Oracle. Born in Buenos Ares in 1972 this artist has lived in Berlin since 1996. A complicated perspective, strong delineation in black and a partially textured canvas with a particular preoccupation with the female form all belong to the to the fundamental characteristics of the work he has produced in Berlin.

Yuan Schun
Yuan Schun has developed the proposal for the light installation for the pedestrian zone of the Friedrichstraße Street. Sketches of the installation together with two more art pieces are on display in the permanent exhibition at The Berlin Oracle. Yuan Shun was born in Shanghai in 1961 and is a leading figure in the new Chinese Avantgarde. He is especially interested in new media, as well as traditional Chinese painting.

Shan Zeng
Zeng assists the artistic and conceptual work of The Berlin Oracle, with particular focus on the I Ching. Shan Zeng was born in Harbin, The People’s Republic of China, in 1965. He studied at the School of Art in Harbin, China.

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8.Factual Information

Getting there
Underground Stop “Hallesches Tor” U1, U12, U15, U6
Bus Stop “Hallesches Tor” Lines: 129,142,147,240,241,248,341, Night Bus

Exhibition “The Berlin Oracle - Gateway to the Friedrichstraße”
Monday – Friday 10-18 pm
A personal guide of this exhibition can be arranged by telephone.

The Sungate
Location:
Sungate: between the Rondell of the Mehringplatz Square and Halleschem Ufer/ Gitschner Straße
Material: Stainless steel and mirrored glass
Weight: Totalling 62 tonnes
Height: 12m

Game Instruction Plaques
Number and location:
A total of fifty-three between the Rondell of the Mehringplatz Square and Halleschen Ufer/Gitschinerstraße
Sixty-eight in the Friedrichstraße pedestrian zone
Four in the East and West entrances of the Mehringplatz Square
Total number: 125
Dimensions: 1m x 1m
Weight: Approximate total 25 tonnes
Design: Markus Schaller, Berlin
Graphic elements, the following written in different languages

Ask yourself as Question
That cannot be answered with a simple Yes or No
Make your way to the colour
That attracts you most at the moment
2500 years of ancient wisdom
Will answer your Questions

Roof top metal plaques
Number and location: sixty-four metal flags mounted on the inner side of the building encircling the square.
Dimensions: eight metres between each flag
Material: Sheetmetal
Size: 2.5m x 2.5m
Design: Sixty-four shades of the colour spectrum

Written plaques on ground level
Number and location: Sixty- four in the central area of the Mehringplatz Square
Size: 1.5m x 1.5m
Material: Metal
Weight: Totaling 35 tonnes
Design: Texts from the I Ching in German, English and Chinese
Design: Lebensart, Berlin. Pictoral interpretation of the calligraphy by Helge Leiberg
Further Information: The written plaques will be lit up at night with an illumination of 200 Lux.

Quotation Tablets
Number and location: Sixty-four at the foot of each written plaque and additional plaques along the length of the Friedrichstraße.
Size: 30cm x 150cm
Material: Metal
Design: Quotations from international personalities in German and in their own language

Circular Sign Post
Number and location: Two rings with a 3.15m circumference around the fountain
Width: Approx. 35cm
Material: Metallic elements, Silesian granite.

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11. Countdown to The Berlin Oracle

05.1997 Unanimous decision by the BVV (local government authority) to mount the art installation

06.1998 Contract with the governmental housing agency (WIR)

08.1999 Restoration works on the buildings begin through the government housing agency WIR

11.1999 Foundation of the non profit organisation The Berlin Oracle

01.2001 The building proposal is handed into the Berlin Senate for Construction.
Met with a positive response.

02.2001 First landscape work begins on the Mehringplatz Square

08.2001 Finishing off of the restoration work through the government housing agency WIR

10.2001 Restoration of the historical fountain and further landscaping work

04.2002 Building permission formally granted

2003 25 European Embassies send quotations of different representatives

Planned:

End 2004: Opening of The Berlin Oracle, to coincide with the extension of the European Union

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11 . Kunstwelt e.V. - a non profit organisation

Kunstwelt e.V. has existed as a registered non-profit organisation since June 1999, managed by Bonger Voges, Kristijana Penava and Sascha Wolf. The social and cultural influence of the art venture which is reflected in the company’s diverse interests aims to reach as many people as possible.

The campaigns to improve the southern area of the Friedrichstadt have also led to the founding of an organisation entitled “ Commercial and Independent Sponsorship for the Southeren Friedrichstadt”
(Förderkreis Gewerbetreibender und Selbstständiger der südl. Friedrichstadt)

The Berlin Oracle welcomes financial assistance:

Kunstwelt e.V.
Commerzbank
Sort Code 100 400 00
Account No. 26 777 71

Honorary Members
Marie-Luise Schwarz-Schilling, Author, Berlin
Dr. Claudia Lux, General Director of the Central and Regional Library, Berlin
Cora Frost, Singer, Berlin
Reinhold Bütikofer, Bündnis 90/ The Green Party
Sissi Perlinger, Entertainer, Munich
Andreas Lukoschik, Journalist, Munich
Catherine Fleming, actor, Munich
Romy Haag, Entertainer, Author, Berlin
Scotty Gulumbeck, & Juppy Becher , founders of the UFA Fabrik (cultural and event centre), Berlin
Prof. Dr. Wienands, TU Berlin
Michael Cullen, Co-initiator of the Reichstags Wrap, Berlin
Prof. Dr. Dr. Brost, Frankfurt on Main
Franz Schultz, former district mayor of Berlin, Berlin
Inka Jochum, Chairman of the Dana Company (Dana e.V.), Munich
Jean-Gabriel Mitterand, Curator, Paris
Peter Conradi, President of the German Chamber of Architecture,Berlin
Britt Kanya, Model, Berlin
Prof. Klaus Palm. German Centre of Colour Technology, Berlin
Prof. Dr. Max Lüscher, Bern Switzerland

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