7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 1/29
Using Art to Highlight the
Issue of Racism In
Switzerland
ISZL
Word Count: 3511
Greg Frey
2012
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 2/29
2
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
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 3/29
3
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
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 4/29
4
IntroductionThe 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. I’ve 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 InteractionThe 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 don’t unwittingly partake in
discriminating against other races or cultures. This remained a very solid and focal partof 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 don’t
apply to the street-artist. It’s because of this that I personally, chose and enjoyed this
topic. An artist like Banksy’s aim is to create an art piece that hel ps to bring his
community awareness to a chosen topic, this directly relates to what I wanted to achieve
in my Personal Project.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 5/29
5
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 becameone 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 Switzerland’s 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
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 6/29
6
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. Banksy’s 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 isn’t 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 Banksy’s 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 ResourcesHuman 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 didn’t
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 7/29
7
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 didn’t 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 SVP’s 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 didn’t
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.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 8/29
8
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 fromcreating spray can pieces to subverting poster’s, 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 didn’t 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 weren’t the focal part of myproduction 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 didn’t 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 didn’t 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 agreeor 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.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 9/29
9
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 inharmony. 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
I’ve enjoyed and used well the freedom of which I’ve 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
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 10/29
10
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 wouldn’t 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 that’s 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
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 11/29
11
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 tomake 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, Banksy’s, 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 1960’s, 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 weren’t 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.
ConclusionMy 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
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 12/29
12
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
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 13/29
13
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-graffiti-
art/>.
"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-Internal-
Affairs/Racism/Studies/idart_5119-content.html>.
Deutschland Ist Frei. Digital image. Web. 8 Jan. 2012.
<https://reader009.{domain}/reader009/html5/0502/5ae8b448a74d6/5ae8b44d83612.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/>.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 14/29
14
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/wp-
dyn/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>.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 15/29
15
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Time Planning
My personal project Gantt Chart, published in my process journal.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 16/29
16
Appendix 2 – Banksy Research
A selection of the research I conducted on Banksy, taken from my process journal.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 17/29
17
Appendix 3 – Nazi Propaganda Research
A selection of pages from my process journal, my research and comparison on Nazi
propaganda.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 18/29
18
Appendix 4 - Specifications
Taken from my process journal, my specifications for my final product were as follows.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 19/29
19
Appendix 5 – Using Photoshop
Reflection on my Photoshop skill development. Taken from my process journal.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 20/29
20
Appendix 6 – Racism in Switzerland Research
My research on racism in Switzerland, taken from my process journal.
7/31/2019 Personal Project Essay
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/personal-project-essay 21/29
21
Appendix 7 – Written Feedback
A selection of the feedback forms filled in by peers and colleagues in the ISZL
community.