Hamburger Bahnhof art museum, Berlin, Germany
The other day, I saw a child’s painting. It was nothing more than handprints in bright colors pressed onto paper by a myriad of children. We’ve all seen these pieces a thousand times, but there was something about this one that made me stop and stare. It was alive with color and brightness, which pulled me in deeper, and the carefree attitude of every child’s enthusiasm sprang forth. Some picked bright yellow, orange, and reds, and others picked blue and deep purple hues. Some pressed carefully not to smudge with every fingerprint clear and visible, and others fast-slapped and left drips and splatters. The randomness of the piece dissolved, and the individual artists appeared. I could sense the families behind the children; society’s dynamic facets emerged, and the small square piece of art transformed. There it was––Heartbeat to heartbeat pressed onto a piece of white paper by four-year-olds.