Background information
Switzerland is considered one of the safest countries in the world and a prime example of efficiency. One of the key reasons for this is the development of a culture based on security, supported by the presence of national protection measures. When the Swiss people voted for the federal popular initiative 'Against Mass Immigration' in 2014, the photographer Salvatore VITALE, as a migrant living there, set himself the goal of researching this phenomenon in order to understand where the constant need for security comes from and how it became an essential part of Swiss culture.
Content
In 'How to Secure a Country' Salvatore VITALE investigates state security measures by focusing on and visualizing factual information and facts - in photographs, diagrams and illustrations. The result is a comprehensive case study that explains the functioning of contemporary societies in a global context. Contributions by political scientists Jonas Hagmann (ETH Zurich) and Roland Bleiker (University of Queensland, Australia) analyze Switzerland's security system and offer insight into the power of images. In another essay, Lars Willumeit, curator and social anthropologist, examines statehood in the 21st century.