Banksy exhibit: a school trip to reflect on artistic knowledge

Our high school students visited the Banksy exhibit at La Rural. Camille Dolmont, HS Biology and Theory of Knowledge teacher at Lincoln, shared what the trip was all about. 

An art exhibition is always a place that stimulates reflection. That’s why our Theory of Knowledge students went to Banksy's exhibition, a street artist and activist from the U.K., at La Rural. It was a great opportunity to contemplate art, investigate its role in knowledge, and write an essay about it. Camille Dolmont, HS Biology and Theory of Knowledge teacher at Lincoln, explained what the experience was like. 

Banksy - Genius or Vandal?
 

Grade 11 Theory of Knowledge students have recently been investigating the arts as an area of knowledge, that is, the scope, perspectives, and methods that influence artistic knowledge. As part of their inquiry students visited the “Banksy - Genius or Vandal?” exhibit at La Rural on September 30, 2022. They saw numerous examples of street art, a contentious form of creative expression, by the mystery artist Banksy, whose work often contains commentary on politics, culture, and ethics. During their visit, students connected specific artworks to the following questions:

• How does knowing more about the social, cultural, or historical context of a work of art has an impact on our knowledge of the work itself?
• Who determines what art is valued, and on what criteria?
• To what extent do the arts have the power to challenge established moral values?
• Can art change the way in which we interpret the world?

Students were impacted by how effectively Banksy’s work communicated his perspectives through the many mediums and locations he has added his work around the world. Ultimately, they will construct an essay response to one of the above questions using Banksy’s art and other forms of art as evidence for their claims.