Semester Project

For my semester project, I will be researching the underground scene in Jerusalem and it's political implications. I will be looking in depth into the political and social messages of graffiti, hip hop, parkour, and other "underground" activities from both sides of the conflict and how each side uses these activities to express their feelings and views on the situation they live in. The underground subculture in almost every culture represents the most realistic and politically charged ideas of the culture. Therefore, exploring the underground subculture of Jerusalem will give me the most realistic representation (if slightly exaggerated) of the ideas and worldviews of the people living in Jerusalem.

I will research the graffiti of the Wall in particular, taking into account both international artists (i.e. Banksy) and the local artists in addition to the music of both Palestinian and Israeli hip-hop artists, exploring what they have to say about their cultures and how they interact. I was also thinking about trying to incorporate parkour as a philosophical and political activity within the walls of Jerusalem, but I'm not sure yet if I will be able to find enough scholarly resources to incorporate that. I'm also not exactly sure which medium I will be using to present this project. I am thinking a compilation of music, video, and graphics in either Powerpoin or Prezi. I am open to suggestions though.