United Buddy Bears
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The United Buddy Bears were an art exhibition in Berlin, Germany. They took the form of a two metre tall fibreglass bears, which had each been painted in the style of a particular country. The bears were chosen as they are the heraldic symbol of Berlin. There were 125 created, each of which was painted by an artist from a different country in the United Nations. This was meant to represent each of the members of the UN.
All artists use artistic means to highlight the special features of their native countries for the visitors: Culture, history, people, landscape, economy, music – always with a different emphasis, many areas are covered, thus creating curiosity about the individual countries in the observers.
The bears were on display between June and November 2002, in a circle around the Brandenburg Gate. Around 1.5 million people visited the exhibition.
On 6 November 2002, the bears were moved to new locations, including their respective countries embassies in Berlin, or back to country that they were based on. Some of the bears were auctioned off to raise money for UNICEF.
After the circle of "United Buddy Bears" had been such an overwhelming success in 2002, a new circle with 123 bears was created in 2003. The idea was to send the circle on a global tour.
On their global tour, the "United Buddy Bears" promote a peaceful coexistence, tolerance and international understanding. The circle changes every time it reaches a new city. This is not only due to the local conditions, but also to their constantly changing order, as the bears are always set up in alphabetic order, following the local language of the host country. This always leads to new and sometimes politically very interesting proximities.
Stations since 2003: Kitzbuehel, Austria (2004), Hong Kong - Victoria Park (2004), Istanbul - Beyoglu (2004), Tokio - Roppongi Hills (2005), Seoul - Olympic Parc (2005), Sydney - Opera (2006), Berlin - Bebelplatz (2006), Vienna - Karlsplatz (2006), Cairo - Zamalek (2007)
There have been other fibreglass animals created. Some businesses in Berlin have had their own replicas made, and put on display outside their buildings. A similar exhibition was the Cow Parade. Also, other cities have put on similar exhibitions, such as Hamburg, which has decorated water carriers around the city.
