THE BERLIN BURD

Date: 1988

Location: Berlin 

Type: sculpture, installation, action

Technique: hand-built

Material: steel

Height: 500 cm

In 1988, George was one of the artists commissioned by the Glasgow District Council to showcase Scotland during Glasgow-Berlin 88, an exciting series of events that paved the way for Glasgow to be celebrated as the European City of Culture in 1990.

When George arrived in Berlin from Gourock in December 1988, he positioned the nearly five-meter-tall steel sculpture named the Berlin Burd to overlook the Berlin Wall, looking toward the East. This straightforward yet powerful gesture highlighted the absurdity of the wall that divided the city.

“The second biggest burd I ever made was the Berlin Burd. This burd was 5 metres high and had to look over the Berlin Wall which was 4 metres high. The politicians in Berlin were cagey about letting me do this and mein Gott, it was not easy to get permission.”

– George Wyllie

For this unique event, George invited school children from both Glasgow and Berlin to design their own bird sculptures to accompany the big Burd.

“Berlin and Glasgow school-kinders cooperated by creating 500 burds of their own – all defying ornithological identification. The burds were lined up behind my big Berlin Burd who told them what it could see on the other side.”- George Wyllie

From Google Maps - The Berlin Burd still stands by a remaining piece of the Berlin Wall at 49 Wilhelmsruher Damm, Berlin.