{"id":12048,"date":"2026-04-16T09:41:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T07:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wajari.com\/blog\/dolor-en-una-obra-de-arte\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T10:09:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T08:09:50","slug":"dolor-en-una-obra-de-arte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wajari.com\/en\/blog\/dolor-en-una-obra-de-arte\/","title":{"rendered":"Pain in a work of art"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A few years ago, in 2019, I visited <strong>Berlin<\/strong> when I went to my first <a href=\"https:\/\/europe.wordcamp.org\/2019\/\" rel=\"noopener\">WordCamp Europe<\/a>. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience with my wonderful WordPress friends: <a href=\"https:\/\/ciudadanob.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Juan Hernando<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/tabernawp.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Carlos Longarela<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/unapersona.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Jorge Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a> and, that year, of course, the great <a href=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/en\/blog\/jose-luis\/\">Jos\u00e9 Luis<\/a>. I shared some photos from this trip in the <a href=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/en\/blog\/wordcamp-europe-basilea-2025\/\">Basel article<\/a>.    <\/p>\n\n<p>After WordCamp, you always try to soak up the city hosting the event, and with Jorge as our guide, we went in search of the most important places in that beautiful metropolis, \u201c<em>the poor but sexy city<\/em>\u201d, as its controversial mayor Klaus Wowereit used to say between 2001 and 2014.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"11497\" src=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Berlin-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Friendships in Berlin 2019\" class=\"wp-image-11497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Berlin-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Berlin-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Berlin-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Berlin-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Great friendships in Berlin, 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"12035\" src=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Visita-Berlin-Amigos-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12035\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Visita-Berlin-Amigos-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Visita-Berlin-Amigos-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Visita-Berlin-Amigos-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Visita-Berlin-Amigos-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Visita-Berlin-Amigos.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Great friendships in Berlin, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p>On that route, we happened upon the <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Edificio_de_la_Nueva_Guardia_de_Berl%C3%ADn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New Guardhouse building in Berlin<\/a> (in German, <em>Neue Wache<\/em>); it is one of the city\u2019s most symbolic places, both for its architecture and its historical significance. It is on <strong>Unter den Linden<\/strong>, right in the centre of Berlin, near Humboldt University and the Opera House. <\/p>\n\n<p>It is not a \u201cspectacular\u201d monument in size, but it is one of the most <strong>laden with memory and symbolism in Germany<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p>It was built between <strong>1816 and 1818<\/strong> by the neoclassical architect <strong>Karl Friedrich Schinkel<\/strong>, inspired by Greek temples, and its original purpose was to serve as the guardhouse for the Prussian Royal Palace. It served as a monument to soldiers who fell in the wars against Napoleon. <\/p>\n\n<p>Like almost everything, it has suffered the <strong>political use of the past<\/strong>, and its focus has shifted according to each historical period and its own narrative:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In 1931, it became a memorial to those who fell in <strong>World War I<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During the <strong>Nazi era<\/strong>, it was used as a ceremonial space for the regime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In East Germany (GDR), it was used as a memorial to the victims of fascism and militarism, with an eternal flame.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Today, it serves as a place of <strong>historical remembrance for Germany<\/strong>, a tribute to the victims of war and tyranny, representing victims without distinction.<\/p>\n\n<p>Inside, there is a striking sculpture. For me, the most powerful definition of a work of art. <\/p>\n\n<p>We tend to think of <strong>art<\/strong> as a beautiful \u201cwork\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n<p>For me, art is anything people do that creates an impact\u2014whatever it may be\u2014on the person who experiences it. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Madre-con-su-hijo-muerto-de-Kathe-Kollwitz-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Mother with Her Dead Son. K&#xE4;the Kollwitz \" class=\"wp-image-12037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Madre-con-su-hijo-muerto-de-Kathe-Kollwitz-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Madre-con-su-hijo-muerto-de-Kathe-Kollwitz-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Madre-con-su-hijo-muerto-de-Kathe-Kollwitz-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Madre-con-su-hijo-muerto-de-Kathe-Kollwitz-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Madre-con-su-hijo-muerto-de-Kathe-Kollwitz.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cMother with Her Dead Son\u201d. K\u00e4the Kollwitz <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p>It is a sculpture titled \u201cMother with Her Dead Son\u201d by <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/K%C3%A4the_Kollwitz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">K\u00e4the Kollwitz<\/a>. It is placed beneath an oculus open to the sky, where rain, sun, snow and cold enter. This is no coincidence. <strong>It symbolises<\/strong> human suffering exposed without protection.  <\/p>\n\n<p>It had a profound emotional impact on me when I saw it for the first time. It is not common for me to react so emotionally to a work of art. But it captivated me completely. I did not know its story, nor everything it sought to represent. I looked up that information afterwards.    <\/p>\n\n<p>Years after that first visit, I returned to Berlin, this time with my best childhood friends, with whom I usually travel once a year. When I returned, the impact the work had on me was just as powerful\u2014if not even more so\u2014than the first time. <\/p>\n\n<p>I understand it depends greatly on your emotional or spiritual state. We evolve and change, as the Hindu saying goes: <\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cNothing has changed. Only I have changed. Therefore, everything has changed.\u201d<br\/>Hindu proverb<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<p>The work is important because it does not glorify war; it questions it. It does not celebrate victories, it has no excess of elements, and it plays with emptiness and emotion. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"872\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kollwitz-kaethe_1930-872x1024.jpg\" alt=\"K&#xE4;the Kollwitz (1867&#x2013;1945)\" class=\"wp-image-12036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kollwitz-kaethe_1930-872x1024.jpg 872w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kollwitz-kaethe_1930-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kollwitz-kaethe_1930-768x902.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kollwitz-kaethe_1930.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 872px) 100vw, 872px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>K\u00e4the Kollwitz<\/strong> (1867\u20131945), unknown author. <strong>Source<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File%3AKollwitz_kaethe_circa_1930.jpg?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wikimedia.org<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p>At that point, I began researching the artist <strong>K\u00e4the Kollwitz<\/strong> (1867\u20131945), one of the most moving figures in 20th-century German art.<\/p>\n\n<p>She was an artist (printmaker, sculptor and draughtswoman) associated with Expressionism; she focused heavily on human suffering (we are all children of our time). Her work is raw, direct and emotional. <\/p>\n\n<p>Like many artists, there was an element that marked her: the death of her son Peter in 1914, in <strong>World War I<\/strong>. The work you can see in the building is inspired by her own loss. <\/p>\n\n<p>She did not create it as an initial commission. There was a personal need to express the <strong>grief for her son<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n<p>We cannot compare one death to another, but as a father, it is hard for me to imagine a death more difficult to accept than that of your son or daughter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"727\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/La-viuda-727x1024.jpg\" alt=\"The Widow I \" class=\"wp-image-12039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/La-viuda-727x1024.jpg 727w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/La-viuda-213x300.jpg 213w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/La-viuda-768x1082.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/La-viuda.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:A_vi%C3%BAva_I,_de_K%C3%A4ethe_K%C3%B6llwitz_(1922-23),_Instituto_de_Estudos_Brasileiros_(MA-0557).tif\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">K\u00e4the Kollwitz<\/a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p>The work is a <strong>message against war<\/strong>, without glorifying heroic deaths\u2014none of that bullshit you can see in many places around the world, with their town halls evoking great heroes who gave rise to whatever nation-state is in fashion and \u201cdignifying\u201d the past (especially on horseback\u2014the bloody horse can\u2019t be missing).<\/p>\n\n<p>From Kollwitz\u2019s personal pain, a work was created that transcends her son\u2014speaking to all sons and daughters killed because of war.<\/p>\n\n<p>The Nazi regime considered it \u201cdegenerate\u201d and removed it from public view, as it did not fit the militaristic vision of the narrative in question.<\/p>\n\n<p>If you are in Berlin, I strongly recommend that you take the time to experience this impressive work. It is minimalist, silent and painful. It tells a very powerful story and invites reflection\u2014and your most human emotions.  <\/p>\n\n<p>I find it surprising that such an old work remains so relevant today.<\/p>\n\n<p>We are undoubtedly imperfect beings, full of mistakes and vices. But the fact that, even in 2026, we still witness the wars around us and do not question (with a critical spirit) the validity or appropriateness of our current democracies, political parties, media, or the system as it exists today, shows the many mental and emotional shortcomings we have. <\/p>\n\n<p>I tend to be very optimistic, and yes, I am convinced that statistics can show us that the world today is a little better than it was in the past. But the fact that, in 2026, we still keep seeing the wars around us saddens me. How far we still have to go, damn it! <\/p>\n\n<p>I only hope that artists like K\u00e4the Kollwitz continue creating for ever and ever, showing a greater spiritual evolution than the people who cause and promote those conflicts.<\/p>\n\n<p>Live long and prosper! And may <strong>art<\/strong> always be with you.  <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover in this article how K\u00e4the Kollwitz\u2019s art in Berlin conveys a profound message against war and human suffering. Will we learn anything from this for the future?   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[117,118],"class_list":["post-12048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essay","tag-art","tag-travel"],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin-300x200.png",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false],"large":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"<p>Discover in this article how K\u00e4the Kollwitz\u2019s art in Berlin conveys a profound message against war and human suffering. Will we learn anything from this for the future?   <\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"<a href=\"https:\/\/wajari.com\/en\/categoria\/essay\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Essay<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Wajari Vel\u00e1squez","url":"https:\/\/wajari.com\/en\/author\/wajari\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin-300x200.png",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false],"large":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/wajari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-Berlin.png",640,426,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Wajari Vel\u00e1squez","author_link":"https:\/\/wajari.com\/en\/author\/wajari\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Discover in this article how K\u00e4the Kollwitz\u2019s art in Berlin conveys a profound message against war and human suffering. 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