Wall and Window
Kelly Peng
In a world increasingly divided by physical and metaphorical walls, my project, Walls and Windows, was inspired by a discussion on legal and illegal immigration during a Design Studies class. This discussion propelled me to visit the US-Mexico border wall segment between Tijuana and San Diego, hoping to co-collaborate on public art with Mexicans on the other side of the wall. However, upon arrival, I was met with an environment far from conducive to such endeavors—helicopters overhead, border control personnel trailing behind, and insurmountable man-made barriers that made even touching the border wall itself a challenge. This experience led me to ponder the true meaning of "wall" and question who defines these borders that segregate "us" from "them."
Walls and Windows begins with my personal journey starting from observations of the US-Mexico border and expanding to explore how the concept of how "walls" segregate people. The book delves into the history of physical man-made barriers, using examples like the Great Wall of China and the Berlin Wall, and also discusses the invisible walls we build around ourselves—those internal barriers that isolate us from others. Conversely, the "windows" section highlights the efforts people make to break down these walls, utilizing art, communication, and exchange as tools to connect and understand each other, with necessary grammatical adjustments made.
Through Walls and Windows, I invite readers to reflect on the walls they encounter or erect in their own lives and to consider the windows through which they can reach out to the world, fostering connection.