Artwork details
About the work
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Context
Lessons Unlearned - Reichstag (2026) and Lesson Repeated - Brandenberg Gate (2026) form part of Deltiology, an ongoing series created through the juxtaposition of found postcards and printed ephemera.
The postcards depict Berlin in the aftermath of the Second World War, showing citizens cultivating crops amid the ruins of a devastated city. Visible in the background are two potent symbols of German history: the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate. Overlaying these scenes are images taken from American cowboy comic books, depicting moments of confrontation and gun violence.
The collision of these visual narratives creates a tension between recovery and repetition, renewal and destruction. While the Berliners in the photographs embody resilience, cooperation, and the reconstruction of civic life, the comic-book imagery serves as a reminder of humanity's enduring attraction to conflict. Together, the works reflect upon our collective capacity to survive the consequences of war while continuing to repeat its causes, inviting viewers to consider how often history's lessons remain unlearned.
Artist context
About the artist
Phil Scott
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