Connections Study

The Connections Study

What is the Connections Study?

This task is just for Standard Level (SL) students and asks you to choose one of your finished artworks (from the five you submit for your Internal Assessment) and explore its meaning by placing it in context.

You'll put together a visual and written study that shows how your chosen artwork connects to your own personal, cultural, or artistic context, and how it also relates to at least two artworks by different artists. These connections should be based on your research and show that you understand the cultural importance of the other artists’ work.

You’ll need to submit two things:

1. One PDF file (up to 10 screens) that includes visuals and written explanations. Your total word count should be no more than 2,500 words.

2. A separate text file listing all the sources you used.

Connections Study Details

As a Standard Level (SL) student, you’ll complete a Connections Study. This task asks you to pick one finished artwork from the five you’ll submit for your final assessment and explore how it connects to:

• Your own context (personal, cultural, or artistic background)

• At least two artworks by different artists

You’ll show these connections using a mix of visuals and written text, all based on research and reflection. Your work must demonstrate a clear understanding of cultural meaning and artistic influences.

What You Need to Submit

You’ll submit two files:

1. A PDF file with up to 10 digital screens that include visuals and written explanations (maximum 2,500 words total).

2. A separate text file listing all your sources (books, websites, videos, interviews, etc.).

The Connections Study will be assessed through these three criterion:

• Connections with Context(s) (Criterion A) - How does the chosen artwork visually reflect the student's cultural, social, or personal context? How does the meaning of the artwork engage with the broader cultural or historical context in which it was created? 

• Connections with Artworks (Criterion B) - What justifies the selection of (at least) two artwork(s) by two different artists in relation to the student's artwork? What specific visual elements in the student's chosen artwork demonstrate connections to the selected artists’ works? and/or In what ways do the themes or concepts in the chosen artwork align or connect to those in the selected artists’ works? 

• Investigation of cultural significance (Criterion C) - What role did/does cultural influences (i.e., social, geographic, political, religious, philosophical, etc.) play in shaping the meaning of the 2+ selected artworks? How do the visual or stylistic choices, symbols, or techniques employed in the 2+ artworks reflect these influences? How did the intended audience of each artwork perceive and interpret it at the original location and time of its creation? ... versus today? And finally, how does the student's resolved artwork intersect with their investigation of cultural significance of the selected artists' artworks? 

What Your PDF Must Include

Your 10-screen PDF can be divided however you want, but it must cover the following sections:

1. Connections with Your Own Context

Explain how your chosen artwork reflects your personal or cultural background. Use visuals and written text to show:

• What inspired you

• What message you’re trying to communicate

• How your artwork relates to your experiences or beliefs

2. Connections with Other Artists’ Work

Show how your artwork connects to two artworks by different artists. These connections could be:

• Technical (materials, processes, techniques)

• Conceptual (ideas or messages)

• Stylistic (look and feel, art movements)

Use visuals and supporting text to explain how your artwork is similar to or different from theirs.

3. Cultural Significance

Show what you learned about the cultural meaning of the two artworks by other artists:

• What do the artworks mean in their original culture?

• How have they been understood across different times or places?

• How do they connect with different audiences?

Make sure your research is thoughtful and comes from reliable sources.

Key Skills You Need to Show

To do well on this task, focus on these three main skills:

1. Situate

Show how you place your chosen artwork in a bigger context. Use comparisons and connections to show:

• How your artwork fits into your background

• How it relates to the other two artworks

Use both visuals and writing to explain your thinking.

2. Investigate

Show that you’ve done serious research. This includes:

• Exploring your own artistic context (what influences you)

• Researching the other two artists and their cultural significance

• Looking at how artworks are understood in different cultures, time periods, and places

• Reflecting on how your choices affect how people see your work

3. Curate

Curating means choosing, organizing, and presenting your visuals and research in a clear, thoughtful way. This includes:

• Picking the best visuals from your artwork and journals

• Including strong examples of your research and reflection

• Making sure everything is clear, organized, and relevant

• Using accurate, art-specific vocabulary to explain your work

How to Create Your Connections Study

You’ll usually do this in your second year, when you’ve finished more artwork and done focused research. Follow these tips:

• Use visuals and text together to tell your story.

• Pull content from your Visual Arts Journal, this is where you’ve kept records of your ideas, inspirations, research, sketches, and reflections.

• Choose good-quality images of:

  • Your chosen finished artwork

  • The two artworks by other artists

  • Any relevant sketches, experiments, or early versions of your work

• Include clear sources for all your research (books, websites, videos, exhibitions, interviews, etc.).

• Use reliable and relevant references and show that you’ve made personal discoveries through:

  • Research

  • Fieldwork or museum visits

  • Talking to artists or attending lectures/workshops

Design Tips for Your 10 Screens

• You’re in charge of how you organize your screen, just make sure all required sections are covered.

• You can scan pages from your journal or digitally arrange visuals and text.

• Your final PDF should be easy to read. Avoid:

  • Overcrowded pages

  • Tiny or blurry text/images

• Make sure everything is horizontal, high quality (around 200 dpi), and fully legible, typed or handwritten.

Academic Honesty

You must follow the IB’s rules on academic integrity. That means:

• Cite all your sources clearly.

• Don’t copy other people’s work.

• Be honest about what’s your own research and ideas.

Final Tips

• Use your Visual Arts Journal as your main resource. It’s where you’ve kept your research, sketches, and notes throughout the course.

• Make sure your visuals and writing support each other, don’t rely only on one or the other.

• Aim for clarity and depth, not just quantity.

• Always use art-specific language (like medium, composition, symbolism, technique, etc.).

• Think of this as telling the story of your artistic process and how it connects to the world around you.

Assessment Criteria

Example of all 4 criteria (24 pts total)

Connections with Context (8 pts)

Connections with Artworks (8 pts)

Investigation of Cultural Significance (8 pts)