An article from April 27, 2024.
“Star Wars-The Fans Strike Back” exhibition: Top or Flop?
George Lucas has the billions, Disney has the billions, The Powers That BE have the billions to have it reinstated in “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” in Florida and California, expensive replicas of the Millenium Falcon (in original size!), And with ” Rise of the Resistance ”probably the most overwhelming carousel experience (please excuse the antiquated expression) of all time. But: the fan exhibition “star Wars -The fans Strike Back ”, which is made up in Berlin from Friday (April 26) until July and advertised as the“ world’s largest ”of its kind, with allegedly more than 1,000 exhibits-dioramas, command bridges, costumes, action figures, mostly Made by hobby tasters-withstands the exciting way. It offers a DIY charm that one could not avoid. Fandom, Geekdom, nerdtum.
As pulled through the scrap press
Of course, you can laugh at it because you can never make up for the quality of the original studio. You can see a “Star Wars” chewbacca, the fur face pulled through the scrap press, zero visa similarity, just as you might otherwise suspect in Eastern European wax figure cabinets.
But such a value judgment would somehow be unfair, wasn’t it? Fandom should not be compared to the original criterion compared to the original. But through the visible passion with which outsiders try to approach the originals with modest means. Only love counts.
“The fans Strike Back” is impressive as a Labor of Love. The replica highlights: Anakins Podracer, with seven meters in original size (with detailed, visible cockpit technology), recreated, and an X-Wing fighter in original size (one could also stand in the “Galaxy’s Edge”), three and a half tons , twelve meters long. In addition, the most spectacular invention of the “Star Wars” machine designer, the “Speeder Bike” from the “Return of Jedi”. The fan replica is one A.
Mega-X-Wing
One would only wish that the exhibits in their description plaques are not only prayed in the “Star War” films in their description plaques, but also disclose their design history by the fans: country of origin, construction time and builders, plus the effort of procurement. You want to see how “the fans hit back”. Hence the exhibition title. This loving, tedious, perhaps unnecessary work can only be viewed very isolated by video recordings. Those who built the Mega-X-Wing have experienced journalists at the press inspection (a car mechanic from France-spectacular). But this is not written for visitors.
Because that’s what the fandom is about. People from different countries with different professions and different sexes combine to form a community due to love for a fantastic world. One exchanges: Where is the best material for the Helm of the Scout Trooper, where do I get the lighting for Darth Vader’s breast panel? Did anyone have to go into debt just to weld the sand speed? The biographies of the big ones, with the “Star Wars” virus infected, children would have offered the actually interesting story. It does not take place here.
Only two film worlds are clearly outlined
The exhibition seems more thrown together than curated. Perhaps the fans gave everything properly, but the person who was supposed to organize the smorgasbord was a little bit foreign. Only two film worlds are clearly outlined: the ice world of Hoth (“The empire strikes back”) and the circular forest world of Endor (“The Return of the Jedi”). Right in the middle apparently a homage wall for a German (?) Fan film (??) who has “Order 666” (???) in the title. You cannot experience this as a non-inauguration, because nothing is explained to you. There are only brochures around on a table shielded as a workplace.
It would have been even better if you could have mobilized legendary hardcore collectors to participate in this exhibition. Those who could have made their thousands of dollars difficult, but a few centimeters tall toys for the show. There is a Boba fat action figure from 1980 from the connoisseur brand, which was able to shoot a rocket and is mega-mega-mega tax. Anyone who auction them has to be Elon Musk.
A little less expensive toys than exhibits would also have been fine, especially since “The fans Strike Back” not only presented self -made, but also official merchandise. This exhibition does not recognize where the collectors come from, how they combined, whether they only come from Europe, or whether geeks from, for example, Indonesia have participated.
Darth Vader as much more angular knight
His class clearly shows “The Fans Strike Back” in fan fiction. When costumes or means of transport are not reconstructed, but newly combined. This is particularly evident in the miniature worlds. Javas, who in the forest of Endor, where they do not belong, disassemble a scrapped AT-AT, which was never seen in the films, into individual parts. A stormtrooper, its armor and helmet decorate samurai decorations. A panel that reconstruct the original sketches from Ralph McQuarrie’s lightsaber duel: Darth Vader as a much more angular knight, Luke Skywalker as a strange person with (gas?-) Mask. Limits are crossed here. Stories more told. Old ideas taken up. The saga spreads into infinity. That is what makes “The fans Strike Back” worthwhile.
“Star Wars – The Fans Strike Back” – until July 07, 2024
Napoleon complex
Modersohnstrasse 35-45
10245 Berlin