Through an INDEX opportunity – Industry Experience at Ringling College – and a partnership with Sarasota’s Art Ovation Hotel and The Rainer Hildebrandt Collection, one Ringling College of Art and Design student was selected to create a unique artwork on a slab of the supremely historic Berlin Wall.

When the Berlin Wall was being destroyed in 1989, Rainer Hildebrandt did not want history to be forgotten. He purchased one mile of the interior wall, placed some in storage, and used the rest as canvases for his art commissions. This collection was cased and sent to America to be stored until his arrival, however he died before he was able to make his voyage to the United States.

Preserved when the Berlin Wall was demolished in 1989, these unique pieces of history remain to remind us of our past and preserve hope for a peaceful future. 

One of the artists featured in this collection will be Alexander Solotzew, a Russian-born artist who spent time painting on the Berlin Wall in protest against the Soviet regime before he was expelled from East Germany. Alexander was later recognized for his efforts as an artist of East Germany and awarded a prize for his invaluable contribution to the development of culture. He has received high praise from art critics of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts and art historians from the German Museums and was awarded the Gold Medal by the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany.

Alexander was born in the Soviet Union, forced to immigrate, and lived in both parts of divided and later reunified Germany. He believes that history must be preserved to avoid repeating it and continues to openly defend human rights and speak about the freedom of speech and expressions.

Alexander’s art, along with others’ works including Ringling College student Franziska Rosa Fleissner ’23, Fine Arts, are among the 15 pieces of Berlin Wall Art that are currently on display at the Art Ovation Hotel in Sarasota, Florida, and will be available for purchase during the July 7 auction.

The auction will begin at 7 pm at the Art Ovation Hotel in downtown Sarasota, preceded by a reception beginning at 6 pm and featuring wine and hors d’oeuvres. The auction will be conducted by Paul Sykes of Art Avenue Florida. A portion of the proceeds from this sale will go to the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and the Ringling College of Art and Design to encourage the advancement of art in our community.

To learn more about the event and to purchase tickets, visit the Eventbrite page.