When many of the visitors drifted off to watch the “official” part of the evening, the wall of illuminated balloons, Bob Rutman, Berlin legend and inventor of and performer on the Steel Cello, asked:
“Do we have to go down there now?” - the answer: “Of course not!”

Instead, he played his 1990 composition “Requiem for the DDR” one more time, while a live transmission of the ascending balloons could be seen on the large projection screen.