Created in 2007 for the third Backjumps festival, this 22x14 meter mural by French artist Victor Ash is one of Berlin’s most legendary street art landmarks. Located on a firewall at Oranienstraße 195 in Kreuzberg, the monochrome figure was painted entirely in black, mimicking the aesthetic of a stencil but executed freehand. The towering, faceless space traveler has since achieved cult status, evolving from a piece of urban art into a world-famous tourist attraction and a symbol of Berlin’s creative identity. A Symbol of the Cold War The mural’s title, "Astronaut Cosmonaut," intentionally combines the Western and Soviet terms for space travelers to reflect Berlin’s history as the epicenter of the Cold War. Positioned near the former path of the Berlin Wall, the floating figure represents the "Space Race"—a conflict fought not with soldiers on Earth, but through technology and ideology in another dimension. Ash describes the work as a meditation on the human desire to escape reality, inspired by the subcultures of the 1980s and the haunting narratives of David Bowie’s "Space Oddity." Interactive Elements and Cultural Legacy One of the mural’s most fascinating features is its accidental interaction with the environment: at night, spotlights from a nearby car dealership cast the shadows of flagpoles onto the wall. Depending on the wind, these shadows make it appear as though the astronaut is planting a flag into the building’s surface. Beyond the wall, the piece has deeply influenced pop culture, even serving as the inspiration for Mark Owen’s music video "Stars." It remains a powerful commentary on human ambition, reminding viewers of our smallness compared to the vast territories we strive to conquer.