Tuesday, May 17, 2016

  Largest poster: Switzerland breaks Guinness World Records record (VIDEO)

   GENEVA, Switzerland -- Campaigners for a minimum income in Switzerland set a World Record for the world's largest poster as they sought support for the controversial proposal ahead of a referendum next month; the record-breaking 8,115 square-metre (87,350 square-feet) poster consisted of a series of massive black plastic sheets, with the words "What would you do if your income was taken care of" in gold lettering, according to the World Record Academy .

Photo: The record-breaking 8,115 square-metre (87,350 square-feet) poster consisted of a series of massive black plastic sheets, with the words "What would you do if your income was taken care of" in gold lettering. Photo: AFP ( enlarge photo )

The Guinness World Records world record for the largest poster measures 7,164.78 m² (77,121.05 ft²) and was achieved by Fareed Lafta (Iraq), in Karbala, Iraq, on 26 February 2016.

     Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the most money paid for a poster of any kind; it is an original poster for Metropolis (Germany 1927), a science-fiction film by Fritz Lang (Austria),which was sold by the Reel Poster Gallery in London, UK to a US collector for $690,000 (£393,300) on 15 November 2005.

     The record-breaking 8,115 square-metre (87,350 square-feet) poster consisted of a series of massive black plastic sheets, with the words "What would you do if your income was taken care of" in gold lettering.

   It was set up in a large diamond-shaped open space in central Geneva called La Plaine de Plainpalais.

   The group behind the installation, Basic Income Switzerland , wants all adults in the wealthy alpine federation to receive an income of at least 2,500 Swiss francs (US$2,500, €2,265) per month.

    A minimum income is different from a minimum wage, and supporters say it would provide a safety net that severs the link between income and work.        The measure seeks to legally ensure that no adult in Switzerland has to live on less than 2,500 Swiss francs a month, including those who do not qualify for unemployment insurance and those who do not want to apply for it.

    The previous Guinness World Records world record of 7,165 square meters was set in the Iraqi city of Karbala by Fareed Lafta, a peace campaigner who gained prominence through his involvement with extreme sports.