During weekdays in August 2007, Skulpturenpark Berlin_Zentrum was visited and monitored by a private security detail. A guard has been hired to patrol a pre-determined route along the former Berlin Wall and along paths which have since been created by local inhabitants. This daily action refers, on one hand, to the history of the place: the former militarized zone within the Berlin Wall. On the other, it underlies a contemporary dilemma affecting the site: privatization of public space.

After the collapse and physical deconstruction of the Wall, a variety of borders were established on the site by real estate owners, and presumably, by the city. The borders were and are still marked by temporary fences intended to not only delineate the properties, but also to discourage trespassing and loitering. Areas which are without fences show evidence of other uses. Trails and short cuts intersect and meander through the area. These areas are used for walking dogs, taking a break from work, and as a natural playground for children. The informal and unregulated activities are marked, like an island, by sidewalks, trees, and parking lots. It is at this border where public order manifests and will proceed when investors come.

A security guard who is typically employed to monitor pedestrian zones, shopping centers, and other gated premises is now situated in an area where there is apparently nothing to monitor or control. At Skulpturenpark, the guard becomes an actor of a repetitive performance where his or her employment and controlled route are on display.

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© Wiebke Grösch/Frank Metzger