Striking Tribute at Brandenburg Gate Draws Attention to Refugee Crisis

Sea-Watch is an NGO that has been dedicated to saving lives in the Mediterranean since 2015. The organisation not only rescues refugees from perilous waters but also advocates for awareness of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region through its political efforts. 

Together with Mother Berlin, Sea-Watch has created specially designed warning signs to draw attention to the life-threatening dangers faced by refugees in the Mediterranean. Warning signs exist to alert us to risks that we would otherwise overlook. Sea-Watch and Mother Berlin use this everyday medium to speak out in a simple yet powerful way about the forgotten dangers in the Mediterranean. 

On the 7th of December, in front of the Brandenburg Gate, they created a striking installation of over 250 warning signs spanning nearly 20 by 20 square meters to capture the audience’s attention. These uniquely designed pictograms come to life as a sea of orange warning signs. This overwhelming installation creates an oppressive atmosphere that’s impossible to ignore. The immersive display, crafted from repurposed road signs, formed a 'sea' of urgent messages. Stepping into the installation engulfs passer by in signs that convey an unsettling truth: people are dying, and it is all of our responsibility to act. 

Messages such as: 'Danger: Drowning in progress', 'Beware of political failure', or 'Attention: No one is paying any', combined with the striking pictograms, encourage visitors to question their own passive attitude and alerts them to all the risks that refugees have to take every day. Stefan Wittemann, creative director of Mother Berlin, summarised: “Our aim was to find an artistic language that does justice to the urgency of the topic and really shakes people awake. The idea of warning signs, as we know them from our everyday lives, almost suggested itself. We combined these with the orange of the 'Refugee Flag' to create a new and unique visual identity for Sea-Watch.” 

“The collaboration with Sea-Watch gave us the opportunity to raise awareness of the refugee issue in a creative and emotional way. Our goal was to convey a critical message that not only touches people, but also mobilises them and helps Sea-Watch to secure further support for their mission,” explains Amelie Schad, managing director of Mother Berlin. 

Giulia Messmer, Sea-Watch spokesperson, comments, “The EU talks about peace while continuing to dig graves at Christmas. With our campaign, we are calling for an end to European ignorance and safe for everyone.” 

For those unable to experience 'Warning Signs' in person, an evocative online film was produced in collaboration with 70x7 Productions, m box bewegtbild, and director Harun Güler. The films capture the panic evoked when we are forced to confront our own apathy, making the installation's message 

powerfully tangible even from afar. Mother Berlin and Sea-Watch would also like to thank 86 Tales, MAP Berlin, Slaughterhouse, S EC Studio and ABS Verkehrstechnik for their support, without which 'Warning Signs' would not have been possible.

'Warning Signs' reinterprets an everyday medium and sends a strong signal for solidarity and empathy. The installation invites society to actively engage with the refugee issue. Or, to put it in the words of one of the warning signs: “The warning signs are clear. This is our chance to act.”