“Explore Berlin: Shifting The Paradigm” Exhibit | Nov. 17
On November 17, the Paul Watkins Art Gallery opened its doors to the “Explore Berlin: Shifting The Paradigm” exhibit, which featured work by students in the Western Art and Culture class who studied in Berlin in the summer of 2025.
Their works focused on “the messaging used to shift the paradigm before and after the Nazi Regime, with an incorporated critique of systemic oppression” (Bojic,Treptow-Bowman). Many pieces in the exhibit were reflective pieces or artworks that reflected not only on the history, art, and architecture they encountered, but also on their personal responses and experiences.
A standout piece was an immersive experience titled “Concrete & Culture, ” presented by Thea McAdams, Maya Lauderdale, Meghan Cooper, and Kaia Peterson, which asked the audience to interact with the graffiti wall in front of them. Audience members could write their intentions for a better world on brightly colored sheets of paper and stick them to the wall.
These pages and graffiti served as a form of resistance against the propaganda of the Cold War viewers had learned about, and as a way to break the wall between the art object and the audience.
For more information about the Art program at Winona State, contact Adrian Barr at abarr@winona.edu, and for the Design program, contact Danilo Bojic at dbojic@winona.edu.
