Capturing Toy Soldiers With Mini Blue Helmets All Over The World.

The engaging interactive Miniscule Blue Helmets on a Massive Quest was spearheaded by designer Pierre Derks, a project which has also spawned a new book.



Starting in the Hague in Holland, the task engaged people all over the world to shoot photos of 50,000 little plastic toy soldiers wearing hand-painted blue helmets, hats or berets from over 60 global locations. The blue helmets and berets are a nod to the colored helmets worn by the UN Peacekeepers.






The mass manifestation of the Miniscule Blue Helmets in public space implies that the potential of getting confronted with a heavily armed blue helmeted soldier is within reach of a global audience. Although it is obvious that the encounter is rather different from running into a real-life UN Blue Helmet [shown below], it might just trigger the same questions and feelings about their presence and deployment.




The photos, shot by varying individuals, are then uploaded to a global Google map with a geo tag so you can access where the image was shot and by whom.



The Mini Blue Soldiers Google map can be viewed as either terrain or satellite:

Click upon the icon of the little blue helmets on the google map and you'll get the location, the name of the photographer and the opportunity to view the photograph.


There's no end to the places these little soldiers have been captured. From inside a little apartment in Amsterdam:

to on the ledge of the Grand Canyon:


Eyewitnesses of the quest have submitted hundreds of photos like the ones shown below:








The Book:


Miniscule Blue Helmets on a Massive Quest, the Book by Pierre Derks

“Tiny in size, huge in scope”

The book ‘Miniscule Blue Helmets on a Massive Quest’ by Pierre Derks shows the worldwide intervention of 50,000 plastic toy soldiers with blue hand-painted helmet, beret or hat by means of 500 selected photo's of the mini Blue Helmets on locations in more than 60 countries. An international spectrum of specialists shares in the book their reflections on the project and their expertise on topics that are related.

The book contains text contributions (written in English) by: Susan Manuel, Roger Stahl, Jonathan Vickery, Patrick M. Regan, Jos Morren, Linda Polman, Matt Groff, Christ Klep en Damon Stanek.

The open nature of the project has led to a fascinating variety of outcomes that contributed to the layered meaning. An example is the adoption of the project by Dutch Blue Helmet veterans who took part in the UN mission in Lebanon (70's / 80's). Jos Morren (Association of dutch military war and service victims): “Frank bought 2,000 of those little green men and painted the helmets blue himself, constantly carrying them with him and leaving them in tactical spots. (...) Eric took it more slow, but became inseparable from his one Miniscule Blue Helmet. Very handy, because if you lose touch with the world because of a psychological blockade, you just put your little buddy on the table. Very effective in such a situation. Out of the blue, those boys were suddenly given a healthy, creative form of self medication, through the art of Derks.”

Order the book here

The publication is made possible with the support of Fonds BKVB (The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture). The project expanded in collaboration with LhGWR and the TodaysArt Festival.

Original Slabs Of Berlin Wall By Artist Ben Wagin Go Up For Auction

Many of my readers are too young to recall the historic event of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, which had split Germany in two for almost three decades, and allowed millions of former Communist slaves a life of freedom.

On November 9, 1989, the wall erected by the GDR that separated West Berlin from all of East Germany was cracked, beginning the reunification of Germany that took almost a year to complete. Initial construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961.



On July 21st, three separate lots (shown below) of German artist Ben Wagin's decorated Berlin Wall slabs will go up for auction. Given the size and cost of the pieces, corporation, museums and incredibly wealthy individuals with plenty of space in their homes or yards, now have a chance to own a part of history as well as unique and significant art.



You'd be hard pressed to find a greater symbol of the triumph of freedom over tyranny than the Berlin Wall. To own one of these amazing complete 12' (4 m) sections of the Berlin Wall is the ultimate historical architectural and artistic statement.

As a memorial to those killed trying to escape to freedom, famed German artist Ben Wagin painted his powerful messages over the sections of Wall in 1990 after initial visitors had chipped off the original graffiti--creating a uniquely textured surface whose effect is as dramatic as it is powerful.

Safely preserved since 1990, these seven complete sections are now being sold at auction.



Lot.1 "Erde werde Erde" (Earth becomes Earth), 1990
2 original slabs of the Berlin Wall, combined as one object, Ben Wagin, 1990.

This part of the Berlin Wall stood on Schiffbauerdamm/ Reinhardtstraße in Berlin-Mitte in the bend of the Spree river, opposite the Reichstag.

"This slab is part of a whole work of art the subject of which is the "Preservation of the Dignity of Man and Nature“. It belongs to my ensemble "In memory of Victims and Perpetrators from 1948 to 1989“. --Ben Wagin

Approximate size: 2 pieces, each 3,60 height x 1,20 width. Weight: 2,750 kilos.
Minimum bid: 2.000 Euro (plus auction commission of 17 % on the accepted bid price + value added tax)

Lot. 2 "Unbekannte Opfer" (Unknown Victim), 1990
1 original slab of the Berlin Wall, by the Berlin artist Ben Wagin.

This part of the Berlin Wall stood on Schiffbauerdamm/Reinhardtstraße in Berlin-Mitte in the bend of the Spree river, opposite the Reichstag.

"This slab is part of a whole work of art the subject of which is "In memory of the victims of war propaganda and hatred in the cold and hot war and its consequences.“--Ben Wagin

Approximate size: 3,60 height x 1,20 width. weight: 2,750 kilos.
Minimum bid: 1.000 Euro (plus auction commission of 17 % on the accepted bid price + value added tax)

Lot. 3 "Parlament der Bäume“ (Parliament Of Trees) , 1990
Ensemble of 4 original slabs of the Berlin Wall, combined as one object, by Ben Wagin, 1990.

This part of the Berlin Wall stood on Schiffbauerdamm/ Reinhardtstraße in Berlin-Mitte in the bend of the Spree river, opposite the Reichstag.

"This slab is part of a whole work of art "Reconciliation of the Cultures“ and is connected with a thought of Richard von Weizsäcker.“ --Ben Wagin

Approximate size: 4 pieces, each 3,60 height x 1,20 width. weight: 2,750 kilos.
Minimum bid: 4.000 Euro ( plus auction commission of 17 % on the accepted bid price + value added tax)


WORKS OF ART – 7 ORIGNAL SLABS OF THE BERLIN WALL, COMBINED AS THREE OBJECTS, CREATED BY THE BERLIN ARTIST BEN WAGIN IN 1990

Date of auction/start: Wednesday, 21 July 2010, at 3.00 PM
Place of auction: Interdean AG, Hauptstraße 7, 14979 Großbeeren
Viewing: Wednesday, 21 July 2010, from 00.45 PM until 2.45 PM
more info (in German)

images and information courtesy of the artist and the auction house.

Artist Bio:

Ben Wagin (born March 25, 1930 in Posen, actually Bernhard, whose last name is often mistakenly called Wargin) is an Performance Artist and theater director.

Wagin has lived in Berlin since 1955. He worked there, among others, for the renown sculptor Karl Hartung. On 3 May 1962 he opened the "gallery S" in the student Siegmund‘s court. Here he first exhibited works of Berlin artists, but soon the "S showrooms“ advanced nationwide as well as worldwide as a known address. In many works and exhibitions and other actions, such as the "Parliament of Trees“, Wagin tries to help the viewer to reflect on the man-altered environment . In 1986, he played a major part to implement the "Galerie Weltbaum II" at Berlin S-railway-station Savignyplatz.

After the award of the "Bundesverdienstkreuz“ (Cross of Merit) in 1985 he received in 1996 the award "Victor Wendland Ehrenring", a Berlin prize for his contribution of the the conservation of nature. For his exhibitions, he used until 1999 the "Lindentunnel“ next to the Humboldt-University and now has a studio in the Panke-Halls in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen. "Das Palament der Bäume" (the Parliament of the Trees) is as permanent Installation located in Berlin‘s government district and is even part of the "Neue Staatsbibliothek“ (New State Library). The “Anhalter Bahnhof“ at the metro station Gleisdreieck is one of the most impressive "Denkstätten“ on historic ground, supplemented by several exhibition halls in the halls of the old freight depot. In 2005 Wagin implemented the "Sonnenboten“ campaign together with schools and communities to create around 4 million sunflower oasises.

In 2005, his artist‘s work has been honored with a major exhibition in the University of the Arts, Berlin. Nationwide Ben Wagin is known as the "Baumpate“ (patron of trees) and had the possibility to plant 50,000 Ginkgo trees from Moscow to Vilshofen. Since 2006, Ben Wagon has his own permanent Exhibition hall at the Technical University of Berlin. As of May 2010, the performance artist - on the occasion of his 80th birthday - could be seen in the Kurt Mill main mountain village with a museum exhibition and a theatrical spectacle, inaugurated by Martin Gorholt, Secretary of State Ministry of Science, Research and Culture in Brandenburg.

With his art activities Ben Wagin wants to show man‘s responsibility in dealing with nature, said Gorholt. The Ben-Wagin-show does not only exhibit human sculptures in wood, and the photo series "The tree are you" but as well an installation with Gingko leaf paper bags on the ceiling of the barn to give insight into the diverse work of the honored artist.
(Source: Wikipedia, Märk.Allg.Ztg.)