Inside – Artists and Writers in Reading Prison

As we arrived to the site it felt exciting.
I have never been to prison before,and i have never seen one.
I have been imagining how the building might look and where it could be located as I have never Been Reading

That feeling when you picture the situation/event that is about to happen shortly before it is revealed.
I did not expect the exhibition to be so big. With so many pieces presented.
The building was confusing, it was hard to decide where to go and where to start. I had this feeling of struggle. It was confusing even tho we had the map to guide us through the exhibition.
Eventually it has been decided that we will allow ourselves to get lost and not rely on the map and just move towards the work that attracts us most.
As we walked through the prison carefully exploring each cell a broad range of work has been discovered by us.
I found it interesting how not each cell contained work, most were empty. I wonder now if there was system ?
Each cell had different marks that have been left behind by the prisoners. The small cells felt sickening with all the dirt and graffiti.
Marks and graffiti told a story of who have lived there, they personalized the space and that is what made most of the cells different from each other and the numbers by the doors.
The subjects that the exhibition explored as i visually gathered were – Light,Water,Freedom,Flight,Dream,Reflections.
Some of the work I want to say – merged with the space.
It felt like this object belongs here which was strange. It made me question it. 
The themes corresponded to the space, yet it felt banal.
What I am trying to say is that – Freedom seems like an easy subject to discuss in prison.
As in – You only start to value what you’ve had only when you have lost it. With this thought I pictured people who lived there for years,moe might have never left this place,some might have died there.
The fact that this prison was closed 3 years ago in 2013 did not make it any easier. 3 years does not feel like enough time to air the energy of the building out. I think that is one of the reasons why the atmosphere in the prison was so tight, and literally the spaces were tight and narrow.

As we continued the journey and allowed ourselves to get lost in prison , searching for work room to room, we had a conversation with one of the Gallery staff. 
This man worked in this prison while it was still active. 
It was interesting to hear what he had to say, and the best way to find out something new is to ask the person that witnessed it.
He told us that this prison was for young offenders and that most of the young people that were held here were in for drugs. He told us about the rehabilitation program , the rules, about how things worked around.
At this moment it made me question what kind of person would enjoy a job like this? The man seemed to have liked his job, a grin has appeared on his face as he spoke of it.
At this point i felt the need to leave.