Die Schattenseite des Regenbogens, Cautionary monument at Theater Meadow, Darmstadt, Germany
Die Schattenseite des Regenbogens is a walk-through memorial on the Theater Meadow in Darmstadt, made of six concentric aluminum arches arranged in an L-shape. The arches rise just over three meters high and display rainbow colors on one side, while the other side has a silver metallic finish.
The memorial recalls more than 50,000 people persecuted under Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code, which criminalized same-sex acts from 1872 until 1994. It was erected following a two-stage competition with public participation and unveiled in 2023.
The title comes from Goethe's Faust and points to the dark side of human emotions, while visitors can walk through the structure itself. The work stands freely on the meadow and invites people to pass between the arches, reflecting on exclusion and acceptance as they move through.
The memorial stands between the Moller Building and the Welcome Hotel on an open meadow and is accessible at all times. Visitors can walk through the arches and observe the colors as well as the changing shadows in different light conditions.
Depending on the position of the sun and the time of day, the memorial casts a heart-shaped shadow on the ground, recalling love and affection. This visual effect changes throughout the day and invites repeated visits to experience the play of light and form.
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