Exhibition 'Walking Through Walls' echoes Berlin Wall experience

"Waiting is forbidden" is written in Arabic and English on the blue road sign: a warning for all marginalized groups, whether homeless or — as in the case of the artist herself — fugitive. The work deals with the artist's personal experience after she had to emigrate to London due to the Lebanese civil war.

Metzger's sculpture deals with the history of Jewish refugees and links it thematically to the situation of today's refugees worldwide. Visitors can easily enter and move through the cardboard labyrinth until the passage narrows further and further — and is finally completely blocked.

At first glance, the painting shows a holiday paradise. At closer look, one sees a rubber boat approaching the beach. One person has even gone overboard and is calling for help. The discrepancy between carefree vacationers and refugees who meet here becomes evident. The Mediterranean is the border between these contrasting realities.

Fifty wooden tables, some slightly inclined, are joined together in this sculpture. Two chairs facing each other protrude from the table. The work illustrates the difficulties in interpersonal communication that arise when the other person's intentions remain unclear and dialogue becomes impossible. The work is an appeal for open exchange.

The series "Vision Machines" by Lebanese artist Tagreed Darghouth shows cameras, drones, satellites and other devices that can be used for surveillance. It is a critique of modern society in which citizens are restricted and put under pressure through constant supervision.

Walking along markings on the floor, both actors and visitors participate in this performance. The installation illustrates the metaphorical walls that separate us from the people in our environment. It, too, is an appeal for better communication.

The video installation deals with the Yugoslav civil war and the siege of the city of Sarajevo, which began in 1992 and lasted for almost four years. It addresses the trauma of the city's inhabitants and their attempt to go on with everyday life.