Community Wall by Sebastian Heiner

The wall design by Berlin artist Sebastian Heiner on the canteen of the Christian Morgenstern elementary school was created in a joint project with a first grade class at the school. The focus was on the theme of “monsters with superpowers”. Inspired by Maurice Sendak’s classic “Where the Wild Things Are “, the pupils developed their very own fantasy creatures in a workshop together with the artist. They created colorful, brave and friendly monsters – equipped with positive superpowers to help children in everyday situations. Heiner took these ideas, implemented them artistically, and created a lively mural from the children’s drawings.

The project is part of an initiative by the foundation Berliner Leben and combines art education, creativity and social participation. It not only trains the children’s eye for visual design and artistic techniques, but also boosts their self-confidence and encourages them to work together as a group. Their monsters now visibly characterize the school environment – a result they can be proud of.

As with his large-format, abstract works, Heiner focuses on process-based painting, direct expression and a lively formal language. The school wall is a work that combines children’s imagination and professional art in a special way – and at the same time shows how creative participation can become visible in public spaces.

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Photos: Hans Georg Gaul