Balanceakt by Stephan Balkenhol, Bronze sculpture at Axel-Springer-Strasse, Berlin, Germany.
Balanceakt is a bronze and concrete sculpture in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg depicting a man in a white shirt and dark trousers balanced on an authentic segment of the Berlin Wall. The artwork stands about 5.7 meters tall and integrates this historical wall fragment directly into the sculptural composition.
The sculpture was unveiled on 25 May 2009, the 50th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Axel-Springer-Haus. Former German President Richard von Weizsäcker gave the ceremonial address, recalling publisher Axel Springer's belief in reunification. The work commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall, which ran just a few metres from the site.
The figure embodies balance between opposing forces and speaks to the psychological tensions that gripped a divided city. Visitors recognize how an artist translated the inner fragmentation of a nation into a physical gesture.
The sculpture stands at the corner of Axel-Springer-Strasse and Zimmerstrasse and is easily accessible from the street. You can view the work free of charge at any time since it sits in public space.
In the night of 17 March 2012, unknown persons climbed the sculpture and poured orange-red paint over it; publishing house staff then covered the figure with black cloth. Whether the damage was linked to events marking Axel Springer's 100th birthday is not known. Since 12 June 2012 a memorial plaque to Ronald Reagan stands just west of the sculpture, recalling his 1987 words at the Brandenburg Gate.
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