Using Art to Highlight the Issue of Racism In Switzerland

ISZL
Word Count: 3511

Greg Frey

2012

Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4 The Goal ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Area of Interaction .................................................................................................................. 4 Topic .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Specifications ........................................................................................................................... 5 Selection of Sources .................................................................................................................... 5 Resource Overview ................................................................................................................. 5 Printed Resources .................................................................................................................... 6 Electronic Resources ............................................................................................................... 6 Human Resources.................................................................................................................... 6 Application of Information ....................................................................................................... 6 How I Completed the Project ................................................................................................ 6 The Affect/Application of Research .................................................................................... 7 Techniques Learnt................................................................................................................... 7 Achieving the Goal ..................................................................................................................... 8 The Goal.................................................................................................................................... 8 Role of Specifications ............................................................................................................. 8 Level of Achievement ............................................................................................................. 8 Reflection on Learning ............................................................................................................... 9 What I Have Learnt ................................................................................................................. 9 Understanding the AOI ......................................................................................................... 9 Evaluation of Process.............................................................................................................. 9 Skills Development .............................................................................................................. 10 Documenting the Process .................................................................................................... 10 Learnt About Myself............................................................................................................. 10 Repercussive action .............................................................................................................. 11

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 11 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................ 13 Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 15 Appendix 1 Time Planning .............................................................................................. 15 Appendix 2 Banksy Research........................................................................................... 16 Appendix 3 Nazi Propaganda Research ......................................................................... 17 Appendix 4 - Specifications ................................................................................................ 18 Appendix 5 Using Photoshop .......................................................................................... 19 Appendix 6 Racism in Switzerland Research ............................................................... 20 Appendix 7 Written Feedback ......................................................................................... 21 Appendix 8 Original SVP Posters ................................................................................... 29

Introduction
The personal project was a daunting task, over the period of around 7 months I was required to produce a suitable product and an up to date process journal. The hardest part was deciding on a goal. Once this was done my personal project became a lot of fun. Ive really enjoyed learning more about the country that I live in, and the world of street art. I have also learnt a lot about myself, and my personal stance on racism. There were times when it was very hard to keep up with my time planning, but I learnt to deal with this and work around my schoolwork. I thoroughly enjoyed the controversial aspect of my personal project, and I think I have taken a lot away from the experience.

The Goal
Area of Interaction
The key goal of my project was to inform my peers of the problem of racism in Switzerland. This fits very well with the Community and Service AOI, Switzerland and the international school is very much my community and after extensive research I discovered that racism was unfortunately a big part of it. Racism plays more of a role in Switzerland itself Racism is widespread in Switzerland, despite authorities' continuing efforts to end discrimination (Swissinfo, 2011). However I did find out that it also affects my peers. The service part of the AOI would be my informing and alerting of my colleagues about the issue, and ensuring that they dont unwittingly partake in discriminating against other races or cultures. This remained a very solid and focal part of my project throughout. My chosen AOI helped to shape my project, it gave me a new perspective to look at my topic from, and also helped put it into context.

Topic
From the very start my initial ideas were based around street art, specifically Banksy and the street-art phenomena surrounding him. What makes Banksy and others like him special is the lack of restrictions within their art, because of this controversy surrounds these artists. This made it a both interesting and exciting topic to begin my research on. The barriers that stop most people from speaking out against world injustices dont apply to the street-artist. Its because of this that I personally, chose and enjoyed this topic. An artist like Banksys aim is to create an art piece that helps to bring his community awareness to a chosen topic, this directly relates to what I wanted to achieve in my Personal Project.

My personal project goal evolved considerably throughout my process, it turned into something much more interesting and exciting than I had first imagined. Initially I had the idea of a graffiti-art piece, specifically in the style of Banksy. As time went on Banksy remained on the back burner. When researching him (Appendix 2 Banksy Research) it was clear that he chooses controversial topics to critique through his art. This became one of my initial goals in my project. My supervisor and I quickly decided on Racism as the subject of my project. After research I found that racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland (Humanrights.ch, 2011) as well as within the international community within which I school. My medium through which I would express my ideas changed drastically during my project until finally, after researching my topic more thoroughly, with the theme of Banksy and street art in mind and frequent discussions with my supervisor I arrived at a poster campaign, subversion of implicitly racist SVP posters (Appendix 8 Original SVP Posters). To summarize I had two main objectives: To inform my peers about the problem of racism in Switzerland. To create a professional piece of street-art commenting on this issue.

Specifications
Choosing my specifications was for me effectively the same as setting a goal, to summarize my specifications; my piece should look professional, have a clear message, spark controversy and be displayed in my community (Appendix 4). These were achievable goals and made it all the more easier to complete my products. Most of the research and work went into achieving the first specification: My pieces should have a clear define message; finding this message was quite difficult and required me to research extensively into Switzerlands cultures. (Appendix Racism in Switzerland Research). To determine whether I have successfully achieved my specifications, I decided to conduct a survey with questions specifically relating to my specifications. This is how I measured how well I have completed my specifications.

Selection of Sources
Resource Overview
Research was a very significant and important part of my personal project, my final product depended on what I could find during my investigation. It was because of this that I had to ensure my sources were as reliable and accurate as possible; to do this is I used a wide range of resources. These included interviews, films, books and internet 5

sources. These were never that difficult to obtain, as my project was very community based.

Printed Resources
The hardest sources to obtain in my research stages were the printed resources, they did however, prove to be the most accurate. Banksys book Wall & Piece was one of my main citations for my street art research phase. This provided much more accurate, first hand information as it was written by Banksy himself. In my opinion save interviewing a well-known and skilled street artist, this was the best resource I had available to me.

Electronic Resources
My electronic Sources were the most abundant. For each phase of my research I had at least one electronic source, as it was easily accessible, the only issue with sources from the internet is reliability. Given the freedom of the internet it is extremely easy to find information that isnt true or even relevant. To make sure the websites were accurate I ensured that they were trustworthy, for example I looked for professional companies (news sites etc.), or university information. Electronic sources were perhaps the most valuable of all my sources I learnt the most from them as any topics could be researched in great detail using the internet. Although the internet took up a significant portion of my electronic resources I also learnt a great deal from Banksys film Exit through the gift shop. It was obvious that this would be a reliable source as the film was directed and produced by Banksy himself.

Human Resources
Human Resources were extremely useful in my project. My project was very close to the community I live in, this meant I could interview people and gain first hand experience of my chosen topic. A lot of people in my school had more experience with racism in Switzerland than I, this was good because they were easy to meet and talk to, it also gave me an opportunity to explore my AOI a lot more thoroughly. The Human resources were very valuable and they really confirmed and made real any other research I did in my process.

Application of Information
How I Completed the Project
After deciding on my product and finalizing my research, completing the product was the most exciting and enjoyable part of my project. I already had previous experience with Photoshop (which would serve as the means of creating my posters), so I didnt 6

need to use much external help in creating them. I used a number of techniques to subvert the SVP posters including layering parts of the original poster, mimicking the font used by the SVP and using masks to create the illusion of a professionally made poster. Once I figured out the easiest way to subvert the posters I found that I had a lot more freedom, this meant I could go back and work on my ideas, it also meant that my best pieces were the last two I created. Although the Photoshop phase was challenging and time consuming, I didnt use extremely advanced techniques to complete my project.

The Affect/Application of Research

The initial research I did on the street artist Banksy gave me a lot of insight into the different forms of graffiti or street art. I saw not only spray can art but also posters, stickers and most importantly subverted advertisements. This gave me the foundation to my product and the idea of creating posters to convey my message rather than using spray paint. The second piece of research I conducted regarded the SVP campaign; this solidified my resolve to create posters but also gave me a fresh perspective on how I would create my art piece. Instead of creating a new piece I learnt that it was much more effective to subvert already existing posters. This research effectively defined my end product, and proved to be invaluable. Finally the last piece of research involved looking into the comparisons between the Nazi propaganda posters and the SVP campaign posters, this put the SVP party into a different much darker light. It gave me a sense of how severe and non-discrete the SVPs racism was. It was this research combined that eventually lead me to arrive at my final pieces.

Techniques Learnt
I learnt some very important techniques from my research into street artists; these included the subtle techniques they used in order to subvert pre-existing media (Banksy DVD, 2010). A lot of the time very little was changed from the original poster, I learnt that this made it all the more effective. There were also a lot of subtle ideas that I didnt even realize I had taken away from my research until looking back. Seeing how street artists do this proved extremely helpful when it came to creating my pieces. The research helped me know what to change and what to keep the same for dramatic effect.

Achieving the Goal

The Goal
As stated earlier, my project evolved and took shape gradually overtime as I learnt and researched more. A big turning point in my project was when I decided to change from creating spray can pieces to subverting posters, I did this mainly because it would be a lot easier to try and express the relatively complicated themes of anti-racism. The specifications I created initially were applicable to both forms of art; this was fortunate as it meant I didnt have to make any drastic changes to them. The final goal after my research was to create a set of subverted SVP posters.

Role of Specifications
I found my specifications (Appendix 4 Specifications) to be a very useful set of guidelines to follow throughout my project. They werent the focal part of my production phase of the project; I did however try to keep them in mind throughout. They were also very useful to check back with as a reference, to ensure that I didnt stray too far from my original goals. Being required to set specifications also helped, it forced me to seriously consider my options and finally decide on what I wanted to achieve in my personal project.

Level of Achievement
Looking at the feedback I received on my final posters (Appendix 7 Written Feedback) I feel that I have achieved my goal. The feedback forms I created were designed to relate directly to my specifications, so it was very clear whether or not I had been successful. The majority said they could understand my posters, but they didnt necessarily agree, this was necessary for my controversy and debates specification that I feel I have achieved. The only specification I feel I could have gone even further with is the final one, My posters should be displayed in my community (Appendix Specifications). I did achieve this, however if I had promoted my posters more and put them up in public I would have been able to gauge the response of the Swiss people, this would have contextualized my work and been very interesting to see. It is also possible that this would have some negative repercussions; it is possible that Swiss people may not agree or accurately interpret the message. It could be seen as calling the Swiss people racist, when this is definitely not the case. My supervisor and I share similar opinions of my project.

Reflection on Learning
What I Have Learnt
One very important lesson that I have taken away from this project is that it is extremely important to research not just in this project but also in life, it is important to look beneath the skin with everything one does. In addition to this, I have learnt that not everything is always as it seems, for example when one thinks of Switzerland racism in politics is one of the last things that springs to mind. Yet after researching it was clear that this was a significant issue. The personal project this year has also helped to solidify my belief in the importance of time planning. I successfully used my Gantt chart (Appendix 1 Time Planning), and noticed that it had a serious impact on my project. In future I will always ensure that I have made an appropriate plan of whatever project I am creating.

Understanding the AOI

Looking at my project from the aspect of the community I live in helped hugely to put my project into context; I started to see my project from a much wider perspective, as well as the idea that I might be doing a service for my community. This was something really special and kept me motivated and interested. A big part of the Community and Service AOI is How do we live in relation to others? (IB, 2012) in response to this I asked the question How do International students live in relation to the rest of Switzerland?, I explored this frequently in my project especially in my research stages when interviewing students (George Gaillet, 2011). I learnt that it is not always in harmony. Understanding the AOI was quite important to me, as not only did it help to put my project into perspective but it also gave me boundaries within which to work and acted as a vague set of guidelines.

Evaluation of Process
Ive enjoyed and used well the freedom of which Ive been able to work in, there were no specifically graded deadlines before the product was due this meant I could work around exams and other schoolwork. I feel I managed my time extremely effectively using a 7-month Gantt chart, which can be seen in my process journal (Appendix 1 Time Planning). Admittedly there were times when I would fall behind in my process, but this made the Gantt chart all the more effective, it meant I could see what stage I should be at and plan on how to catch up. If I was given the opportunity to re-do my personal project I think I would spend more time and effort in trying to make my project focused more on my community. There are several ways I could have done this, one being to gather a wider array of first hand 9

interviews, from people not just within the ISZL community but from Switzerland and even the SVP. Another important way I could have integrated the community aspect into my personal project, would have been to show my posters to people in Switzerland not just in ISZL. Gathering the reactions of the SVP and from people of ethnic backgrounds would have been a great addition to my feedback.

Skills Development
I required two main skills in my project, the first and most measurable was being able to use Photoshop proficiently. As mentioned previously I was already adept with using Photoshop before beginning my project, but I have never had to subvert posters to seem as professional as possible before. This meant I had to use Photoshop in a different way than previously practiced; pushing me and helping me develop my skills significantly. (Appendix 5 Using Photoshop) As the majority of my project was research based, this became another skill that was tested and improved. Researching was very important; finding accurate information relatively quickly was necessary. I had to use resources that I normally wouldnt for example the ISZL library played a significant role in helping me find information. I have never been required to find such a wide array of sources before. This is definitely a skill that will prove extremely useful later in my education and in life.

Documenting the Process

Documenting my process was an important part of my personal project, I conducted a lot of research and it was important that I had somewhere to store the information. My format of choice was a traditional leather bound journal; it was extremely useful as I could carry it anywhere and quickly copy down information without much expense. My process journal is relatively small allowing me to use it whenever I could; this meant I could write down anything related to my personal project on the go. I also preferred the aesthetics of the journal and the durability that it provided.

Learnt About Myself

Prior the personal project, racism was another thing that I had heard about often enough, but I had never really thought about it. It never really seemed to be a problem, as I never mixed with anyone thats overtly racist. Since completing my personal project I have realized that it is a much larger and more serious problem. I had no idea that people would be murdered in first world countries such as Switzerland simply for having a different skin colour (Moore, 2011). This has really personalized the subject for me and has made me take a much more hostile and aggressive stance against racism. I have learnt a lot about myself throughout this process, I feel I have learnt to become

10

much more disciplined in keeping to time planning and working without being made to. It is hard to decide on one particular IB learner profile that I exhibited during the project, as it required many different forms of work. I think initially I began with an inquiring state of mind, with such a vague starting point this was all I could be. As the project began to open into different areas I started to show signs of being a thinker by having to make reasoned and ethical decisions regarding which way to take my project.

Repercussive action
It was my hope, and one of my specifications that my product would spark controversial debate in my community similar to the way my chosen artist, Banksys, work does. It has been seen many times before in previous acts against racism that intervening can have enormously positive effects. In the famous Blue eye, Brown eye test conducted by Jane Elliott in the 1960s, after the students agreed to take part in the test Jane segregated them into two different groups (Friday, A Class Divided). Those with brown eyes had to sit at the back of the classroom, had less time at recess and werent served as much lunch. Meanwhile those with blue eyes received extra attention. She later reversed it so that each group would experience the feeling of discrimination. At the time there was a huge amount of controversy surrounding Jane Elliot, the majority thought it was disgusting what she had done to the children. But soon after it was clear what affect Mrs. Elliot had had on her pupils, it gave the children a chance to empathize with people who in reality are discriminated against. The reaction of the children once they had grown up was astounding, they explained how it had truly opened their eyes and was an invaluable experience (A Class Divided, PBS). Jane Elliot took a massive risk with the Blue eyed, Brown eyed test she sparked debates and controversy but eventually as her message spread she helped hugely in abolishing racism. If even a percentage of this kind of action against racism occurred in my project I would feel as though I have been extremely successful.

Conclusion
My project has given me a great opportunity to learn more and connect more with my relatively new environment and community. It has made me feel more in touch with the occurrences outside of the ISZL, giving me a fresh perspective on the country I live in. I have thoroughly enjoyed my personal project, it has required a lot from me as a person, and I am satisfied with how I progressed through it and accomplished my initial goals. My project was an extremely long process with various challenges along the way, I feel I did very well to meet these and overcome them. I have learnt a lot about managing time effectively and keeping true to my original time planning. I am very pleased with my 11

project topic specifically as I felt the message was very poignant and relevant to my community, this made the project much more personal and much more enjoyable. I felt my project turned into something much more selfless than originally intended, this was an extremely satisfying feeling. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.- Edmund Burke

12

Works Cited
Banksy. Wall & Piece. Vol. 1. UK: Random House, 2006. Print. A Class Divided | FRONTLINE | PBS. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 01 Feb. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/>. "Controversial Graffiti Art from Banksy | DesignFloat Blog." DesignFloat - Web Design News & Tips. Web. 19 June 2011. <http://www.designfloat.com/blog/2010/10/11/banksy-graffitiart/>. "Definitive Report on Racism in Switzerland by UN Expert - Humanrights.ch." Humanrights.ch: Das Schweizer Menschenrechtsportal. Web. 13 June 2011. <http://www.humanrights.ch/en/Switzerland/Human-Rights-in-InternalAffairs/Racism/Studies/idart_5119-content.html>. Deutschland Ist Frei. Digital image. Web. 8 Jan. 2012. <http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/posters/frei.jpg>. Digital image. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. <http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/posters/certain.jpg>. Digital image. Web. <Http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LXX74PaKvi0/TCVAovDX_QI/AAAAAAAACbw/u3Dyfo 4Hw-M/s1600/NtN+Nazipropagandapics2.jpg>. Exit Through the Gift Shop. Dir. Banksy. 2010. DVD. "Friday | A Class Divided | FRONTLINE | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 04 Feb. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/etc/friday.html>. Gaillet, George. "Experiences with Racism in Switzerland." Personal interview. 1 July 2011. "IB Middle Years Programme, Areas of Interaction, Community and Service." International Education - The International Baccalaureate Offers High Quality Programmes of Education to a Worldwide Community of Schools. Web. 01 Feb. 2012. <http://ibo.org/myp/curriculum/interaction/community/>.

13

Moore, Molly. "Swiss Fury at Foreigners Boiling Over." Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis. Web. 14 June 2011. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/10/08/AR2007100801464.html>. "Nazi Boycott Poster." Calvin College - Minds In The Making. Web. 08 Jan. 2012. <http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/geisenheim.htm>. "Nazi Posters: 1933-1945." The Bytwerk Page. Web. 08 Jan. 2012. <http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/posters2.htm>. "Nazi Propaganda." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 Jan. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_propaganda>. "Racism Is Widespread in Switzerland, despite Authorities' Continuing Efforts to End Discrimination, a Council of Europe Commission Has Found. - Swissinfo." Swissinfo Swiss News and Information Platform about Switzerland, Business, Culture, Sport, Weather. Web. 16 June 2011. <http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/Council_of_Europe_attacks_racism_in_Switzerlan d.html?cid=9576>. Welch, Professor David. "BBC - History - World Wars: Nazi Propaganda." BBC - Homepage. Web. 08 Jan. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/nazi_propaganda_gallery.shtml>.

14

Appendices
Appendix 1 Time Planning
My personal project Gantt Chart, published in my process journal.

15

Appendix 2 Banksy Research

A selection of the research I conducted on Banksy, taken from my process journal.

16

Appendix 3 Nazi Propaganda Research

A selection of pages from my process journal, my research and comparison on Nazi propaganda.

17

Appendix 4 - Specifications
Taken from my process journal, my specifications for my final product were as follows.

18

Appendix 5 Using Photoshop

Reflection on my Photoshop skill development. Taken from my process journal.

19

Appendix 6 Racism in Switzerland Research

My research on racism in Switzerland, taken from my process journal.

20

Appendix 7 Written Feedback

A selection of the feedback forms filled in by peers and colleagues in the ISZL community.

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Appendix 8 Original SVP Posters

29