Light installation at the Reichstag: Art revival for the 30th anniversary!

Light installation at the Reichstag: Art revival for the 30th anniversary!

Platz der Republik, 10115 Berlin, Deutschland - On June 11, 2025, several hundred people gathered in front of the west facade of the Reichstag building to experience an impressive light installation. This event takes place on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the iconic coverage of the Reichstag by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The meadow in front of the Reichstag, with the Federal Chancellery in the back of the audience, became the scene where memories and art met. The initiators of the current video installation, Roland Specker and Peter Schwenkow, have linked this important artistic action. Both had already founded the Berliner association for the Reichstag in 1986 to support the project of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

in the 1980s, among other things, a loan of 20 million D-Mark to realize the artist's project, although at that time it was unclear whether the Reichstag would ever be covered. The current video installation, which can be seen in the evening between 9:30 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., also attracts people who may have participated in the covering 30 years ago. Nevertheless, some visitors were disappointed on the first evening because they missed the original feeling of covering.

art and memory

The light projection, which returns daily from June 9th to 2025, is generated by 24 high -performance projectors, which are positioned from three platforms at about 3 to 3.5 meters high and 80 meters away from the Reichstag building. This projected tribute to the former covering is said to get the experience for younger people today, especially for those under the age of 45 who have not witnessed the original action. Specker and Schwenkow hope that on the coming summer nights people of different ages and backgrounds will gather on the meadow to get into conversation and to experience art.

The Reichstag's disguise from 1995, in which the building was enveloped with 100,000 square meters of silvery-shiny tissue, is considered a truly significant event. The campaign attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors and the pictures of the "Wrapped Reichstag" achieved worldwide celebrity. The project costs of the current series were estimated at around half a million euros and are financed by the foundation of Christo and Jeanne-Claude as well as the initiators.

a legacy, that remains

June 13, where the 90th birthday of the artist couple would be celebrated, offers an additional emotional dimension for projection. The aim of the light installation is to focus on Berlin, reunification, democracy and art. Despite the difficulties associated with the early Bundestag election, Specker and Schwenkow were able to implement the project in a short time and write another chapter in the memory of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The video projection, which is repeated every 20 minutes, is therefore not only a festival of art, but also a sign of connection with the past and hope for a common future.

Overall, the light installation is an impressive event that reflects the developments in Berlin since reunification and puts the power of art for the foreground. The event reminds that great art not only leaves impressions, but also promotes conversations and community. A return to the roots of the covering, which now appears in a new light, ensures an unforgettable experience for everyone present.