Starting today and running until the end of the weekend, 8,000 glowing balloons will recreate a 15 km long section of the former Berlin Wall. It’s to commemorate 25 years since the fall of the wall. 

Here’s an aerial view of what it’ll look like:

I think this is a fascinating art installation. And I wish I could be there to see it first hand. My friend Nick Iozzo is there right now with his wife, so hopefully they’ll respond to this blog post with some highlights.

Lots of cities today feel divided in some way.

Here in Toronto, we talk about the divide between the core and the inner suburbs – the latter of which has become known as Ford Nation. We also talk about an east vs. west divide, though it’s not really a legitimate concern. Developer Urban Capital actually has an event next week on this very topic that I’ll be attending. They’re calling it: “an intelligent discussion on a not so important topic.”

But none of these divides are anything like the divide faced in Berlin. The Berlin Wall was arguably the most visible physical manifestation of the entire Cold War. Once a major point of entry for Eastern Bloc emigrants, East Berlin was basically bleeding people before the wall went up in 1961. It was designed to keep East Berliners in place.

I can’t even imagine what it would be like to live in a place like that.

Images: Daniel Buche