Kani Alavi was born in Lahidjan (northern Persia) in 1955. In 1980, he moved to West Berlin, where he studied painting and visual communication. He painted two pictures at the East Side Gallery: “It Happened in November” and another one together with Muriel Raoux.
Alavi's painting “It Happened in November” shows his interpretation and perception of the invisible feelings on the night the Berlin Wall fell. In the painting, against a blue background, the white concrete wall splits open and a flood of faces pours through. The worried faces are reminiscent of the people Alavi observed at Checkpoint Charlie when the Wall opened in 1989. The image is intended to represent the fear of change and the future at that time. It was originally painted on canvas by Alavi and later transferred to the East Side Gallery. In 1996, Alavi co-founded the artists' initiative East Side Gallery e. V. and was its chairman for many years. Thanks to his commitment and initiative, the gallery has been preserved to this day.
Kani Alavi und Muriel Raoux: „Ohne Titel“
Additional information:
Information about Kani Alavi can be found on his Homepage: http://www.kanialavi.com/