The fall of Rome
300 people came to a special event to say goodbye to »Rome 312« with Yadegar Asisi in Leipzig
What a wonderful ending. On the evening of February 1, 2009, around 300 people, wrapped in transparent rain capes and armed with paint guns, came to the asisi Panometer in Leipzig to help Yadegar Asisi destroy his gigantic 360° panorama »Rome 312«. After putting on the protective clothing and helping to spray the huge panoramic painting green, they watched it being cut up and torn to pieces, against the background of a spectacular light show. This multimedia happening marked the end of the panoramic exhibition, which had been open for three years, signifying a moment of contemplation. Asisi explained his intentions as follows: »I created the painting for this place, for this time. The work of art is not the piece of printed fabric, but the visual experience that happens when someone looks at my panorama. It’s like a theatrical performance – something that happens at a certain moment in time, something which can be experienced again and again in a new way. I am saying goodbye to my work of art as a visual experience«.
The destruction of the panorama does not only symbolise saying goodbye to »Rome 312«, but also welcoming the arrival of the new panorama AMAZONIA, in homage to Alexander von Humboldt. This is why Asisi consciously chose the colour green for painting over the picture of Rome and tropical forest sounds to herald the new beginning. The well-known actor Christian Steyer recited texts by Humboldt, stressing the importance of AMAZONIA for the celebrations surrounding the 150th anniversary of Humboldt’s death in 2009.
In three years, around 600,000 people visited the circular painting at the asisi Panometer Leipzig. After a short renovation period, Yadegar Asisi opened the new panorama AMAZONIA, a magical picture of nature, on March 28, 2009. The largest 360° panorama in the world, 106m long and 30m high, shows the fascinating animal and plant world of the Amazon region. It celebrates the 150th anniversary of the death of the great Amazon explorer, Alexander von Humboldt.
