Big Head Berlin Wall Slab

New York, New York

In the 1980s French artist Thierry Noir made a career of painting what he called "Big Heads" on the Berlin Wall. The heads could be painted quickly and secretly at night, and Noir made dozens of them, claiming that it helped "demystify" the Wall.

The Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and 15 years later this particular Big Head was shipped from Berlin to New York City. At the time the German Consulate described it as a "symbol of freedom," placing it near the World Trade Center site. The significance of the slab, however, is overshadowed by its nutty artwork, which was Noir's point in Berlin, and now in New York City as well. People like to pose for photos as if kissing the big red lips.