94 / Stephan Halter / Germany

Excerpted from Stephan's letter:

"My collage is based on a photograph of an old GDR watchtower...where a memorial plaque is built as a memento to the 5 people who died at this sector while attempting to gain their freedom...I have chosen 5 bullets (type M43 used by the border guards) to represent the 5 victims. The black dove of peace is stamped above the tower to show the victory of the peaceful movement against the cruel system of the GDR.

In times of regulations to create the transparent citizen (Big Brother is watching you!) and the fanning of fear by our governments it is often said the decrease of freedom (or increase of control) is necessary to keep peace.

I would like my collage to be seen as a comment on this worldwide trend of seperating peace and freedom as well as the remembrance of the dead at the innergerman border. When the [Berlin] wall went down, I was 12 years old. It was and still is the most impressive memory of peace and freedom united!"