East German Guardhouse to Watch over Los Angeles

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CULVER CITY, Calif., Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardhouse that formerly watched over the legendary media headquarters of the German Democratic Republic in East Berlin (Allgemeine Deutsche Nachrichtendienst "AND," Public German News Service) is coming to Los Angeles in time for the 25^th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Salvaged by acclaimed artist Christof Zwiener, the ADN Guardhouse will become a part of The Wende Museum's permanent collection in Culver City (www.adn-pfoertnerhaus.de).

From 1971 until its closure in 1992, the ADN headquarters in East Berlin was guarded by a member of the secret service stationed in a prefabricated 20-square-foot aluminum guardhouse that controlled the entrance and exit to the parking lot of the building. One lonely military guard watched the largest mouthpiece of the East German communist government at a site that combined media and defense. Now the Guardhouse comes to Los Angeles and becomes a mouthpiece in its own right.

Leading up to the 25^th Anniversary, this mobile artist residency will be exhibited in various locations around Los Angeles and Culver City in partnership with the El Segundo Museum of Art (ESMoA), the City of Los Angeles, 5900 Wilshire Boulevard, and the City of Culver City. Regional and international artists, including Sonya Schoenberger and Friedrich Kunath, will collaborate with Zwiener to provoke a diversity of perspectives on public space, media, and surveillance.

The Wende Museum's new home in Culver City's former National Guard Armory is a natural and provocative host for the ADN Guardhouse. The Museum's existing collection of Cold War artifacts, the largest in the world, and its mission to inspire contemporary reflections on the implications of the former East Bloc, will now be enhanced with the addition of this East German artifact. The ADN Guardhouse will be a highlight of the Museum's festivities on November 8, 2014 commemorating the 25^th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall after which it will be installed in the Museum's new sculpture garden.

Installation Dates:
5900 Wilshire: October 3 - 12, 2014
Downtown Culver City: October 18 - November 2, 2014
El Segundo Museum of Art: TBD
The Wende Museum: November 8

Credit
This exhibition was organized by The Wende Museum with generous support from the Haubrok Gallery, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany – Los Angeles, Hypo Kulturstiftung, Villa Aurora, Air Berlin, El Segundo Museum of Art, Blum & Poe, the City of Los Angeles, and the City of Culver City.

About The Wende Museum

The Wende Museum is an arts and educational institution transcending the traditional boundaries between scholarly research, museum practice, and community engagement. Since its grassroots beginnings in 2002, the Wende has grown into a singular humanities resource for cultural artifacts and personal histories from Cold War-era Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The Museum's collection serves as inspiration for its programming, often igniting unconventional collaborations with partner institutions, contemporary scholars, and artists.

The Wende Museum is located at 5741 Buckingham Parkway in Culver City, California. The Museum is open on Fridays from 10am to 5pm, with tours at 11:30am and 2:00pm, and Mondays through Thursdays by appointment. Admission is free. (www.wendemuseum.org)

In 2015, the Wende will move to the former Culver City Armory, tripling its exhibition galleries and providing excellent public access as part of a mile-long cultural corridor with numerous permanent public art installations, live music venues, theaters, and museums.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140913/145958

SOURCE The Wende Museum