The East Side gallery

Going to the East Side gallery was truly an unreal experience.

Not being a native to Berlin, or even having been born during the Wall's existence as a barrier, I don't associate it with any memories that I was present for, so in some ways I felt like a tourist walking in on history for a short visit. I've seen many pictures of the Wall in text books but while seeing it in front of me I was able to experience it's intrusive scale. I felt small and overcome by this massive structure. However, what was once a symbol of national separation is now a beautiful canvas of varied compositions, some that I feel evoke unique representations of emotional experience. The whole time I kept thinking what an honor it must've been for the artists to be asked to do a mural on such at such a large scale. I imagine that the memories that the artists had associated with the wall were reclaimed with artistic expression on the perpetrator of the memories: the wall itself. However, similar to the nostalgia tied to the events of the past, each piece of art is open for interpretation.