Outline of TOK Exhibition

Introduced with the new syllabus in 2020, the TOK exhibition is an assessed piece of work that counts for 33% percent of the overall TOK grade. The exhibition assessment asks students to choose an IA prompt to address, out of a list of thirty-five questions provided by the IB. These questions revolve around the core theme of ‘knowledge and the knower’ and address the general metaphysics of understanding. In addition, these prompts also relate to the main themes of the TOK course: knowledge and technology, knowledge and language, knowledge and indigenous societies, knowledge and religion and knowledge and politics.

How to relate objects to TOK prompts

After selecting an IA prompt, TOK students must pick three objects that relate to the prompt; it is recommended that these objects relate to the core and optional themes. Think of the objects as symbolic for the intended line of argumentation within the exhibition. For example, if the chosen prompt is, ‘On what grounds might we doubt a claim?’ a student’s chosen object could be a tweet from a politician, which could ultimately represent the argument ‘we should doubt a claim if it is not peer reviewed before publication’. The TOK exhibition is essentially a philosophical discussion centered around the furnishings of our everyday lives.

‘Objects’ in TOK

A note on the TOK term ‘objects’: The term speaks to the sense of specific-ness with which the TOK examiners wish IB students to approach the task. Objects shouldn’t be vague notions like ‘photography’, but rather particular instances of these notions, such as a single photograph. Furthermore, the term ‘object’ doesn’t just refer to things we can physically hold. Objects can be digital, like the aforementioned tweet, or even be objects created by the student, like an essay or a piece of art. The most important aspect to keep in mind when selecting objects is their ‘real-world-ness’: it has to be something with a real-world context.

Creating the TOK Exhibition

After selecting the prompt and corresponding objects, all that is left to do is create the exhibition. Overall, the TOK exhibition should be 950 words. The exhibition should include an introduction, and three separate object commentaries that are about 290 words each. The commentaries identify the object, give an explanation of its specific real world context and investigate how the object relates to the prompt.

Example of object commentary for IB TOK Exhibition

Below is an example of an object commentary:

How important are material tools in the production or acquisition of knowledge?

Initially, it might be assumed that material tools are only important to the acquisition of knowledge in areas that directly study the material world, like natural science. Of course, technology like the microscope or the large hadron collider are central to the acquisition of some scientific knowledge; this commentary explores how they are also essential to more introspective areas of knowledge, in particular art.

Clearly, material tools are essential to the physical creation of an art piece. However, following the popular critique “the medium is the message” (McLuhan) this commentary will more specifically examine how material tools contribute to the acquisition of knowledge in art.

Knowledge in art can be understood as the posing of a question and the offering of an answer. In the examined object, ‘Diamond Dust Shoes’, Andy Warhol employs material tools in order to facilitate this discussion with the culture at large. ‘Diamond Dust Shoes’ (1980) depicts women’s shoes strewn on the floor. The reference for the work is a polaroid negative; as a result, the piece features sharp colour contrasts. In the work, Warhol employed his long-established screen printing technique and, in order for the prints to glitter like diamonds, Warhol incorporated crushed up glass into the paint. This gave the piece a shiny and expensive texture, despite being produced cheaply. This mix of register contributes to the postmodern mixing of high and low culture. Additionally, Warhol’s thematic obsession, mass-production in 20th Century America, is explored in the use of a mass-producible texture and technique being used to create a shimmering symbol of wealth. Here, the material used is central to Warhol’s cultural critique.

Especially because it is a relatively new addition to the TOK assessment structure, many students naturally find the task daunting. Whether it is to sharpen your TOK skills or get targeted, individualised guidance on the exhibition itself, feel free to reach out to a BartyED IB TOK tutor today!