This photograph showcases a painting on the Berlin Wall titled “My God, Help me To Survive this Deadly Love” and it is a famous piece of graffiti by Dmitri Vrubel. The mural depicts a real-life moment from 1979 when the two Soviet leaders (USSR, & East Germany) kissed, which was a customary greeting to show a strong bond and affection between the communist leaders. This artist wanted to reflect the oppressive and strained nature of the Soviet-East German relationship, diguished as a partnership. This painting was painted shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall, symbolizing the end of the cold war; however, more modernly it captures the deep contradictions in political relationships, where the surface-level unity often hides the deeper forms of oppression and control. This artwork remains one of the most iconic symbols of Berlin and the reunification of Germany which, draws thousands of vistors today.

This photograph is protest art from the prohibition era. It was meant to show how government oppression would be met with resistance. It was extremely important as the prohibition era led to a surge of protest through the illegal sale of alcohol. It resonates now as government oppression is always a prevalent topic. It can also connect to the recent efforts for state governments to ban/unban the use of things like cannabis. The main discussions with those arguments also relate to the same points made during the prohibition era, to some extent.