The Jungle – Steve Jobs

Did you know?

🎨 2015. On 11 December, Banksy unveiled his new mural on the walls of a refugee camp known as “The Jungle”. The artwork depicts Apple founder Steve Jobs dressed in his trademark turtleneck as a Syrian refugee, with a large black garbage bag over his shoulder and the original Apple computer in his hand. 🖥️

As part of a series of stencils painted around the camp, this work is a strong statement on the current migrant crisis in Europe and a clear reference to Steve Jobs’ origins as the son of a Syrian immigrant who moved to the United States after World War II.

🗣️ In a statement accompanying the artwork, Banksy said, “We often think that migration is draining the country’s resources, but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian immigrant. Apple is the world’s most profitable company, paying more than $7 billion in taxes a year – and it only exists because they let in a young man from Homs.” 🍏 Steve Jobs’s father, Abdulfattah “John” Jandali, was indeed born in Homs – a Syrian city now almost completely destroyed by war – and moved to America to study. There he met his future wife, Joanne Schieble, and in 1955 they adopted their first child, Steve, in San Francisco.

🎨 Banksy’s graffiti of Steve Jobs is just one of a series of graffiti the artist has created in Calais and elsewhere in response to the treatment of Syrian refugees.

💬 I deeply believe that we cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in the world. Banksy’s work is a powerful reminder that each individual’s history, origins and contributions shape the society we live in. This work of art is not only visually arresting, but also thought-provoking and stimulates dialogue (or at least it should). It is important that we approach any message we convey to the world with responsibility and openness. The power of storytelling has the potential to change perceptions and, through that, perhaps the world. Let us allow ourselves to be inspired by the courage and creativity of Banksy to deliver real, values-based messages that reflect the values and ideals to which we are committed. Let’s stay curious, open-minded and always look behind things, people and stories. 🌍