Berlin-May 2008 ________________________________ The paintings at the East Side Gallery document the time of change and express the euphoria and great hopes for a better and free future for all people of the world. The Gallery consists of approximately 106 paintings by artists from all over the world, painted on the east side of the Berlin Wall. It is possibly the largest and everlasting open air gallery in the world. The first painting was started by Christine Mac Lean in December 1989 immediately after the fall of the wall. Two-thirds of the paintings are badly damaged by erosion, graffiti and vandalism. One-third has been restored by a non-profit organization which started work in 2000.