At last Wall, we meet.

I'll admit that the sudden long stretch of wall that appeared out of nowhere took me by surprise. I didn't expect such a monumental piece of history to be placed so nonchalantly at roadside, squeezed next to hipster beach clubs and a decked out sports stadium. But perhaps, surprise is just the element suitable for this wall, after all, it was literally built overnight, and by morning, Berliners were divided. And even though this stretch of wall is just a fraction of what was, pacing alongside it, I got that sense of restriction, with the wall looming above me, blocking part of the sky from my view, I tried to imagine this as my daily life. Would I get used to it? Would I ever feel frustrated at this stubborn barrier? Even when I knew that I would eventually reach the end of the wall and finally see the other side, just knowing that my peripherals were limited was enough to make me impatient.

However, that's excluding the factor of the art on the wall. Which, is fittingly enough, another part of the surprise element.

The amount of color and images meticulously painted on certain sections of the wall brought a whole new feel to this concrete barrier. It was now a canvas of expression rather than restriction, and to experience this transformation was pretty wild. It was uplifting, in a way, to see a negative concept that was built out of warfare and resentment to be turned on its head and now a place to inspire unity.

It was also quite a charm to come across several of the artists, and even witness them in action. One of the artists from the UK, Peter Russell, mentioned something that I found rather intriguing. When asked to explain his art, he answered, "“You know what they say when artists are asked to explain themselves? They are mute.”

Lost in translation, or perhaps, development of understanding and freedom of interpretation? I'm an optimist.