Place: Franckesche Stiftungen, Halle (Saale), Germany
Date: 2018-2019
Material: Mineral facade paint
Collaboration: Philipp Eichhorn, Hendryk von Busse
Assistance: Alexander Dümke, Alexander Staiger, Frieder Bader, Hanna Müller-Kaempffer, Joav Scholz, Kyrill Hirner, Marten Ernst, Martin Krauth, Max Rademacher, Michael Schulze, Nancy Röschter, Philipp Hurst, Philipp Kienast, Robert Czolkoß, Sebastian Boo Borkert, Stefan Retzlaff, Tillmann Ziola

Balanceakt (2018–2019) was a two-year mural project in Halle’s Voßstraße, covering four 11-story socialist blocks. The murals reflect the contrasts of the neighborhood, where prefabricated buildings meet historic houses and busy streets intersect with narrow alleys. Residents participated actively: at block parties, they recreated constellations of figures that were photographed and integrated into the facade designs. Today, locals recognize themselves in the artwork, connecting with their neighborhood and its history through the murals’ imagery.

In the immediate vicinity of the painted blocks, there are more 11-story buildings that have already been renovated by another company. For all those involved, it was important that the prevailing colors were not ignored, but rather picked up on and complemented. In some cases, we used exactly the same color tones in order to achieve a coherent overall picture on the site.