Installation Broken 1.4 | Broken/ (Un)Broken
All information about the past and upcoming locations of “Broken/ (Un)Broken”
Photos and texts for free use about “Broken/ (Un)Broken”
Find out more about the team behind “Broken/ (Un)Broken”
Information about the naming
November 2020 | “Broken”
Naming the installation “BrokenIn the end, the title “Broken Wings” and “Broken” were up for selection in the many-member team (2x♂️ 2x♀️). We decided unanimously for “Broken”.
February 2022 | “Broken/(Un)Broken”
Rename the installation from “Broken” to “Broken/(Un)Broken”Through the isolated criticism, during and after the tour, in 2020, I decided to include the criticism in the installation and express this symbolically in the title.
Arpil 2023 | “Broken 1.3 | Broken/(Un)Broken”
Renaming the installation “Broken/(Un)Broken” to “Broken 1.3 | Broken/(Un)Broken”Since I now give version numbers to work that can change over time, I renamed the installation “Broken/(Un)Broken” to “Broken 1.3 | Broken/(Un)Broken”.
But also because I wanted to put the original name “Broken” once again in the foreground, since this seems to me still / again most appropriate for this installation.
November 2023 | “Broken 1.4 | Broken/(Un)Broken”
Renaming of the installation “Broken 1.3 | Broken/(Un)Broken” to “Broken 1.4 | Broken/(Un)Broken”Nobody had expected this update. But, coincidence also paints.
As it was very stormy at the start of the UN Women Orange Days 2023, I had no choice but to lay down the figures this year. At first I couldn’t come to terms with the idea, but the result was overwhelming.
How it all began/ May 2020
In May 2020, the deputy equal opportunities officer of the city of Siegburg, Ms Katja Milde, contacted me by email with an enquiry about my Installation “It is like it is”. She wanted to “borrow” the installation for the International Day against Violence against Women and Girls and put an orange high-visibility waistcoat on each of my red and white figures to symbolise the fact that one in three women is affected by violence at least once in their lives.
As the installation “It is like it is” became internationally recognised as a coronavirus memorial and later as a symbol of hope, I was unable to fulfil this wish. Instead, I offered to design a new installation for this important day.
No sooner said than done. Less than three weeks later, I met Mrs Milde and a colleague in my studio and presented her with the design. Both were immediately enthusiastic. The financing was discussed, the design was approved by the Rhein-Sieg district round table, a Contract concluded with the district administrator of the Rhein-Sieg district was signed and I was able to start work immediately. It was agreed in writing that the installation would cost €2500.00 for one day in Siegburg in front of the main entrance to the district building. However, as the installation would cost more than 10 times as much in production, I decided to organise a 17-day tour through Germany with the “Broken” installation.
Just under 4 months later, the installation was completed with the active support of up to 20 helpers and the tour could begin.
Installation “Broken” of 222 masked mannequins | A discourse
Violence against women and girls has been a topic since the very beginning of human history.
It has been written that each war’s winners would carry off the losers‘ wifes and girls, rape or kill them. There has always been some religion that would put women to a lower level than men or that would blame women for being the cause of all evil. Until today women suffer from not being treated unconditionally equally by their country‘s laws.
Women are witnesses to this huge gap of imbalance that divides our society until today. Women and artists (m/f).
Artists (m/f) don’t want to kill, mutilate or rule. They want to create something good. Something that brings joy to the world, not harm. Something that carries a message just as the installation „Broken“ by Dennis Josef Meseg.
This artist intends to speak out against violence against women. This original way of transforming his thoughts into art is way more profound than one would think at first sight.
Mannequins wrapped in orange warning tape: A combination of three symbols with a very well known and clear interpretation.
Warning tape represents a sign of boundaries not only in its purpose to protect people from danger but also in its use as a sign that marks a barrier.
Women are very often reduced to their looks as if they were just puppets on a string, easy to handle just like a toy. This way of looking at women is a sign of disregard. In addition to this many women are humiliated by having to hide or cover their faces from the world just as if they were some guarded piece of property that is being watched by its jealous owner.
Orange is the color of freedom, joy, safety and of emotional warmth. This is why the annual campaign by UN women „Orange the World“ has chosen this color for their fight against the constant, diverse misery that women all over the world have to face.
The warning tape that wraps the „women“ in Dennis Meseg’s installation covers these „women“, disguises them and isolates them from the outside world, but at the same time this warning tape wraps them in the color of freedom which is quite an interesting thought that moves the viewer.
#orangetheworld #UNwomen #frauentag #weltfrauentag #frauenpower #frauen #womensday #gleichberechtigung #internationalwomensday #womansday #internationalerfrauentag #feminismus #feminism #frauenrechte #installation_broken #zontadeutschland #gleichstellung #choosetochallenge #iwd2020 #iwd2021 #iwd2022 #iwd
The installation „Broken“ is to be seen as an appeal to finally stop violence against women! Men living in the 21st century are indeed able to see that all women, as well as their their mothers and sisters, daughters and wives are of equal worth and so they are to be treated equally.
It should be their aim to make this world a better one, based on equality and respect for one another and for mother nature.
Just as women do, who love their kids, their husbands, their brothers and sisters, their fathers and mothers, their family…
Just as every artist (m/f) loves their work.
16 selective locations in 17 days
The 16 locations to present “Broken” 2020 were carefully chosen. All of them coincide with the topic „History of Woman“ in various intensity.
Day 1 – Siegburg/ Kreishaus – 24.11.2020
Siegburg was the starting point of our turbulent seventeen-day journey through Germany. In this picture you see the installation/vigil in front of the Kreishaus, where the equal opportunity commissioner of the Rhine-Sieg area is sited and the Round Table meeting takes place with delegates from ten commissions of the same area. Our sincere thanks for this initiation of the campaign and the financial support go to the staff of the equal opportunity commissions here in the Rhine-Sieg area.
Day 2 – Bonn/ Münsterplatz – 25.11.2020
Initially, the installation/vigil was meant to be presented on the „Place of the United Nations“, closely to the UN building. At short notice we had to find an alternative, and what could be more central in Bonn than the Münsterplatz in the heart of the city. A lovely „second best“ location for our presentation. We were joined by ZONTA Rheinaue Bonn with their campaign „ZONTA says NO“, who spoke with visitors on the site about this important issue.
Day 3 – Aachen/ Münsterplatz – 26.11.2020
In cooperation with the local branch of ZONTA we held our presentation that day on the Münsterplatz in Aachen. Close by is the battered women’s shelter (Sozialdienst Kath. Frauen e.V.). We invited some of the inhabitants to come and join us, which resulted in profitable, touching conversations.
Day 4 – Bonn/ Frauenmuseum – 27.11.2020
The Women’s Museum in Bonn depicts quite plainly the position of women worldwide in art and every day life throughout the past 40 years. We were invited by the curator Marianne Pitzen to present our installation/vigil in the yard of the Women’s Museum. Afterwards, one of the 222 mannequins remained at the museum as a contemporary witness on display. We cordially thank all staff of the museum, and in particular Marianne Pitzen, the founder and curator, who supported the 2020 campaign right from the start.
Gift to the Women’s Museum on 27.11.2020
From 27.11.2020 a figure of the installation “Broken” is located as a vigil in the exhibition of the Frauenmuseum Bonn.
Day 5 – Wesseling/ Rathaus – 28.11.2020
Wesseling – the artist’s domicil of choice and location of his studio. But also an area interspersed with points of divergence and a reputation which doesn’t do Wesseling justice. It is a city with an abundance of beautiful, impressive cultural diversity. Unfortunately, the latter also causes a number of problems. The amount of emancipation of women in Germany and in Europe differs substantially from their social position in many other countries, which causes a lot of resentments, misunderstandings and the urgent necessity to close this developmental gap. This is why we decided to present our installation in Wesseling.
Day 6 – Köln/ Roncalliplatz (Kölner Dom) – 29.11.2020
Twin town of Cologne is Istanbul in Turkey, where the development of women’s rights rather declines than evolves and many existing rights that they fought for are being taken away again. That is why we chose Cologne as a place to present our installation. As a representative for Istanbul – as a representative for Turkey. We cordially thank the staff of the culture department in Cologne for their unconventional support.
Day 7 – Düsseldorf/ Landtag – 30.11.2020
The fight for women’s rights cannot succeed without the legislator. Substantially tougher punishment is required and demanded for offenders (first offenders in particular) and needs to be installed in order to make a sustainable change. There is also a necessity to simplify mortifiying and offending follow-up examinations and conservation of evidence, to spare the victims further harm. Special thanks to the Green Spaces Office Düsseldorf, to ZONTA Düsseldorf I and the former president of ZONTA Germany, Susanne von Bassewitz for their support.
Day 8 – Essen/ Kennedyplatz – 01.12.2020
Essen has been a role model throughout the past decades dealing with „Violence against women“ and has launched several campaigns to draw attention to this issue. We chose Essen as eighth location of „Broken“ to express our gratitude for their commitment. Special thanks to „Essen Marketing“ who supported us in the planning and on scene. We also want to thank #whitelilyrev vom MIA – Mütterinitiative für Alleinerziehende e.V. i.G. joining us briefly during our presentation. In this context, pictures were taken with the White Lilies in Essen.
Day 9 – Duisburg/ König-Heinrich-Platz – 02.12.2020
In Germany, Duisburg holds the sad record of towns with the most so called „honour killings“. 78 cases, 109 victims and 122 offenders were recorded between 1996 and 2005, a quarter of them being young women killed by their own relatives. What surprises is the high number of men being killed, almost 43 per cent. This contradicts the stereotype assumption that only women become the victims of violence. Those murderers seem to believe that in certain cases „the honour of the family“ can also be restored by killing a man. (Source: https://www.igfm.de/ehrenmorde-in-deutschland/)
Day 10 – Bielefeld/ Rathaus – 03.12.2020
In previous years, Bielefeld and the local equal opportunity commission have done a lot of commendable work concerning the issue „Violence against Women“ and organized actions on the „International day of Violence against women and girls“. To honour these efforts, we chose Bielefeld as one of our locations for the „Broken“ tour 2020. We thank the equal opportunity commission for all their support, even though the initially vested area in front of the townhall was unavailable in the end. With the help of the Bielefeld real-estate company we quickly found another site, and we cordially thank all supporters for their help.
Day 11 – Hamburg/ Spielbudenplatz (Reeperbahn) – 04.12.2020
Hamburgs „sinful mile“ is known worldwide for its sex trade. What started off as a meeting point for sailors and shipmates quickly developed into one of the most contacted points of interest in the Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg. But not all of the sex workers do their job voluntarily. Many sensitive souls and lives get broken forever in this place, since, no matter how much violence a person befalls, something shatters. Faith, hope, love and trust – it all gets a crack, even though it might be small and invisible at first sight. Here in Hamburg, our very special thanks goes to the operating company of the Spielbudenplatz for the permission to let us present our installation on such a busy and prominent place.
Day 12 – Dresden/ Neumarkt (Frauenkirche) – 05.12.2020
As location no. 12 we chose the Neumarkt in Dresden, in front of the Frauenkirche. Initially, the church was named „Kirche unserer Lieben Frau“, meaning Mary, mother of God. It was destroyed during WW II and remained in ruins under the DDR reign, as a memorial condemning war and destruction. In 1993/1994 the reconstruction of the church began. Special thanks to the Dresden regulatory agency for their support in organising our action.
Day 13 – Bamberg/ Maximilianplatz – 06.12.2020
On this December morning, me and my installation formed a crowd of complainants, 222 symbolic females and 1 male, all looking into the direction of the former Bamberg courthouse, the place where the burning of witches was decided. Women and girls were sentenced to death by burning in „expurgatorial“ fire. Bamberg was the stronghold of this barbaric practise, and for this depressing and questionable fame it was chosen as one of the locations for „Broken“. We thank the Bamberg equal opportunity commission for their support, and also the local media who published very positive reports in advance. Most of all, we thank the Bamberg citizens who discussed the event on the Internet until weeks later.
Day 14 – Frankfurt am Main/ Hauptwache – 07.12.2020
Financial Capital – stronghold of finances and at the same time one of those place, where the everyday discrimination of working women is still being tacitly accepted. Despite equal or even higher accomplishments women get a lower salary than their male colleagues. This injustice could easily be stopped by a change of laws. But our weary political „Ship of the Line“ moves way to slow on this matter. Special thanks to the nearby Frankfurt police station for keeping an eye on us and our mannequins.
Day 16 – On the road – 09.12.2020
Day 17 – Berlin/ Potsdamer Platz (Tag der Menschenrechte) – 10.12.2020
As a crowning finale for the „Broken“ tour 2020 we had chosen the Pariser Platz in Berlin. Shortly before we arrived we were told that the place was not available, due to some other event. So we moved to the „Potsdamer Platz“. It was the „Human Rights Day“ when our journey ended, and we had chosen our capitol Berlin as the final location. „Women‘s Rights“ are human rights, and there is a lot of amendment and reparation to be made, though many aspects have been altered meanwhile or are on the way as a promise for a more righteous future. In our opinion, things move to slowly, but mankind is also faced with many other „construction sites“ on which we all have to work at the same time. Let us look hopefully towards the future – a world worth living in for everyone.
We wish to thank the German board and press office of „Au Terre des Femmes“ (Frauenrechte.de) for their support. Also the Gewalttelefon Köln-Berlin, even though you withdrew your consent to offer „Hilfsangebote“ in Berlin for the time of our event the night before, due to certain critisism. The flyer we had ordered and paid for, informing about the Gewalttelefon Köln-Berlin, will be distributed today as a handout during the presentation of our installation/vigil.
Lettering the figures in Berlin on 10.12.2020
BROKEN – A Call to End Violence Against Women (No Comment Edition; German Version; 04/2021)
Many thanks for the support go to:
Equal Opportunities Office Rhein-Sieg-KreisEqual Opportunities Office of the City of Siegburg
Equal Opportunities Office of the City of Hennef
Equal Opportunities Office of the City of Neunkirchen-Seelscheid
Equal Opportunities Office of the City of Much
Equal Opportunities Office of the City of Lohmar
Gender Equality Office of the City of Bornheim Rld.
Gender Equality Office of the City of Bad Honnef
Gender Equality Office of the City of Alfter
Equality Office of the City of Bielefeld
Equal Opportunities Office of the City of Bamberg
ZONTA International
ZONTA Bonn-Rheinaue
ZONTA Düsseldorf II
ZONTA Aachen
Terre des Femmes – Human Rights for Women e.V.
Violence hotline Berlin\ Cologne
Video by Soroptimisten-International (German)/ From minute 10:07 pictures “Broken”.
Official UPDATE Installation “Broken” 02/13/2022
As of today, the title of the installation “Broken” is officially changed to “Broken/(Un)Broken”.At the last public exhibitions of “Broken/(Un)Broken” at the Revierkunst in Hattingen and at the Diakonie in Sulz am Neckar, the presentation/ placement of the installation had already changed significantly. The criticism voiced by liberal queer feminists in 2020 has been incorporated into the installation.
As can be seen in the photos, two smaller groups of demonstrators are now standing in front of the installation. On the one hand the representatives of “StillNotBroken”, the counter-movement to “Broken” and on the other hand the silent representatives of “TotalyBroken”.
This represents the different views of those involved. The ones who want to be seen as “Unbroken” and the others who can be seen as “TotalyBroken” because of the severity of their injuries, since they partly died from their abuse or took their own lives.
In the background are the remaining approximately 200 performers of “Broken/(Un)Broken”.
Installation “Broken/(Un)Broken” in Hilden District Mettmann – 11/25/2022
Orange Day 2022 Human Rights Day /United Nations Square, 10 December 2022
As a conclusion of this year’s Orange Days we showed the installation “Broken/(Un)Broken” in Bonn at the UN- Campus on the United Nations Square.
Again a special backdrop for this horrible, often hushed up topic. Hundreds of visitors came during the day today to view the installation, to walk through or leave messages on the figures.
The pictures from the first row below were taken by Wim de Vries.
Shots of the installation being set up on United Nations Square in Bonn on Dec. 10, 2022
UN Women Orange Days 2023 – 25 November 2023 – Wesseling (Rathausplatz)
Together with the Equal Opportunities Office and the Round Table of the city of Wesseling, the installation was realised this year. For the first time, the figures deliberately did not stand on their legs, but all lay on the ground. A change to the installation that has it all.
Top: Photos and videos/ drone Ben Buch (@benbuch1)
Top: Photos Christopher Goebel (@therealgbl)
Tourdates for “Broken 1.4 | Broken/(Un)Broken”
Here you will find all past and upcoming dates for the “Broken 1.4 | Broken/(Un)Broken” installation.
Show next dates Show past datesRoom for praise and criticism
The installation was positively perceived by almost 100% of the visitors as what it is – a memorial/ vigil on the topic of “violence against women” and a call to finally end this violence.
But of course it was clear to everyone involved that this installation or the treatment of such a topic would not only bring positive feedback. However, no one knew in advance where any criticism might come from. We had assumed that criticism would come, for example, from people who grew up in countries where women still play an absolutely different role in society than they do in Europe, for example. Nobody really expected that the criticism would come from mainly liberal queer feminists. Just as little as with the “volume” of the criticism and the way it was voiced.
It all started with a photo. The stone of the impetus was a photo that the photographer Heiko Heiken had taken of me in the middle of the installation “Broken”. On this photo I am standing in the middle of the installation with folded arms and looking upwards. The photo was taken at the first location of the Broken Tour 2020 in Bonn on the Münsterplatz.
This photo was strongly criticized on Instagram by some users.
Here again, the focus is only on the artist.
One can clearly see here what the artist of the installation “Broken” would really be concerned with – namely only himself.
That this installation is my artistic work and thus also my artistic expression is probably undisputed. And, that I let myself be photographed in the midst of my artistic work, is probably first also nothing unusual. Finally, one documents as an artist, as well as a man in general, his attempts to walk on this, our planet.
I rather see it as that I show solidarity with the victims and those affected in the photo and stand by them. My look and my posture hardly radiate a joyful moment. But as it is with art, everyone sees what he can and wants to see. And that is also good so, becomes clearer to me after the tour also very quickly.
I talk about this and other issues in the following film. Here, the points of criticism are addressed and discussed in detail.
Documentary by Heiko Heinen about the Tour 2020
(approx.45 min. – German with English subtitel; march 2022)Guestbook No. 2/2
Demonstration posters from Munich and Berlin
Gedicht eines Kritikers aus dem Jahr 2020 (German)
Ein kleiner Mann – Dennis genannt –
War Künstler – und doch kaum bekannt.
Ne richt‘ge Uni sollt‘s nicht sein,
So schrieb er sich bei Waldorf ein.
Doch schon beginnen die quälenden Fragen:
„Was will ich als Künstler eigentlich sagen?“
„Ach!“ denkt sich Dennis „Viel bequema:
Ich spring‘ einfach auf jedes Thema!
Ob alt, ob jung – ob arm, ob reich,
Corona macht uns alle gleich!“
Denkt sich der Dennis und will‘s wuppen:
Besorgt ne Horde Ausstellpuppen,
Wickelt dann Absperrbänder drum,
Schneidet an ihren Gliedern rum…
Denn Schwurbeln soll‘s Konzept nun kitten:
„Uns werden Grundrechte beschnitten!“
Auf Instagram treibt‘s schöne Blüten:
Dennis_art liked Verschwörungsmythen: Der Quatsch lässt sich ganz gut verbreiten,
DIE Welle will der Dennis reiten:
„Welch‘ neues Thema böt‘ sich an? Gewalt gegen die Frau (vom Mann)! Da gibt‘s demnächst auch diesen Tag.
Ob ich‘s bis dahin schaffen mag,
Mir Expertise anzulesen?“
Am End‘ war‘s wohl zu kurz gewesen. Dann sprach er noch mit ein, zwei Frauen,
Und machte sich sogleich ans Bauen.
Der Dennis ist Sternzeichen Fuchs,
recycelt seine Püppchen flugs:
Die stumme COVID-Schwurbel-Masse
Wird nun zu stummen Frauen – klasse!
Die Sperrband-Farbe ausgetauscht
Und mit Bedeutung aufgebauscht –
Jetzt muss nur noch ein Titel hin:
„Broken“ – Gebrochen – das macht Sinn!
Das ist zwar reinste Täter-Sicht,
Doch sowas stört den Dennis nicht!
Auch jedes and‘re kritisch‘ Wort,
Perlt am Herrn Künstler ab sofort.
Er wähnt sich Frauenretter, Held,
Verlangt er doch nicht mal Entgelt!
Kann sich nicht mal ein Auto leisten,
Und Feminist:innen erdreisten
Sich jetzt zu widersprechen, ihm,
Dem Gott des Absperr-Mannequin!
Da wird geätzt, geshamed, geblockt,
Doch hier hat Dennis sich verzockt.
Betroffene, die täuschst Du nicht,
Du toxischer Narzissten-Wicht!
Es geht hier nicht um Dich, Du Lurch,
Halt ein, schweig still, hör zu, blick durch!
Nur diesen Rat kann ich Dir geben,
Hör bloß auf Frauen zu bekleben.
by Tim Tonndorf
Your opinion on “Broken”
How did you feel about the installation?
Feel free to leave a feedback.
“The installation gets extremely under your skin.” — Operator of the women’s shelter – Aachen (Münsterplatz)
“Very powerful, very strong! It is almost unbearable for me to stand here.” — Visitor – Bonn (Münsterplatz)
“Grandiose, brilliant, great! Keep it up!” — Susanne Paulik
“touching… I would like to stand there. Thank you!” — Visitor – Bonn (Women’s Museum)
Press reports on the installation “Broken”, “Broken/(Un)Broken” und “Broken 1.4 | Broken/(Un)Broken”
Various press offices report on “Broken”, “Broken/(Un)Broken” und “Broken 1.4 | Broken/(Un)Broken” in newspapers, social media and TV.
What is currently happening around “Broken 1.4 | Broken/(Un)Broken”?
Current press reports Free usable photos and textsKnown from:
The Team behind “Broken”, “Broken/(Un)Broken” und “Broken 1.4 | Broken/(Un)Broken”
Unique people. Unique experience.
City archives
Filing photos of the installation with various city archives
So far: Siegburg, Wesseling, Düsseldorf, Hilden, Aachen
0800 01 160 16 (It is a free, round-the-clock, 18-language and anonymous counselling service.)
Behandlungsinitiative Opferschutz (BIOS-BW) e.V. (Victim Protection Treatment Initiative) – free anonymous therapeutic help by telephone for people who are afraid of becoming violent:
0800 70 222 40 (Germany)
📝 Text Ricarda Reich
With the kind support of Pixelfaenger/ Heiko Heinen