5 erstaunliche Wege, wie Elektroschrott für Kunst verwendet wurde

E-waste is a growing problem, and finding uses for redundant ICT equipment has been on the minds of sustainability experts for years. However, it turns out it’s also been on the minds of some artists! Here are 5 ways that e-waste has been used for art:

Mobiltelefon "Turm von Babel"

On March 30, 2019, in a shopping centre in Beijing, artist Shen Bolun unveiled his art installation entitled ‘Tongtian’ as part of a Greenpeace campaign to raise awareness about e-waste.

Die Skulptur besteht aus ausrangierten Handys und hat die Form eines Mobilfunkmastes. Die Telefone wurden an einem Metallrahmen befestigt und so synchronisiert, dass ihre Bildschirme in verschiedenen Farben blinken, was ein auffälliges Statement ist.

“The inspiration of my tower comes from the Tower of Babel in the Bible,”

artist Shen Bolun told AFP, referring to the origin story explaining why people speak different languages.

Ein Video der Installation können Sie hier sehen: https://www.dailymotion.com/8525b729-9c4b-4101-ae9e-d6d4a0005d66

Ghanas Giftmüll in etwas Schönes verwandeln

In the large waste dump Agbogbloshie in Ghana’s capital, Accra, Joseph Awuah-Darko has started planning the future of hte site, hoping his art inspires others to re-think the way the waste dump is seen:

"Ich glaube nicht, dass die Zukunft von Agbogbloshie darin besteht, es auf eine Mülldeponie zu beschränken. Ich glaube, dass es sich um einen Wandel handeln würde. Es wird eine Drehscheibe für Designdenken und innovative Wege werden, die Hand in Hand mit der gesamten Bevölkerung dort arbeiten, um Mechanismen mit Mehrwert und Produkte mit Mehrwert aus dem Abfall zu schaffen."

In January this year, he co-founded the non-profit Agbogblo.Shine Initiative, this innovative organisation encourages workers at the dump to turn waste into high-end furniture.

“It’s true that Agbogbloshie is a result of negative externalities from dumping by more developed European countries, but I saw, or I chose to see the opportunity within the mess. I chose to see the opportunity to create, and turn what has been called a dump into an opportunity.”

Workers in the dump are exposed daily to harmful fumes by burning obsolete and unwanted appliances such as mobile phones, computers, televisions and plastics that are brought to Ghana from around the world. Burning the waste allows them to salvage and resell copper and other metals from these leftovers of modern consumer culture.

Awuah-Darko’s first piece of work is a grandfather clock, made from a galvanized car axle, aluminium and part of a discarded wall clock. Two hotels in Accra are in a bidding war, each hoping to win ownership of the clock.

Ein Video über seine Arbeit können Sie hier sehen: https://twitter.com/i/status/956353446692581377

Der magische E-Müll-Löwe von Mumbai

India is among the top five generators of e-waste in the world generating over two million tonnes each year, but local artist Haribaabu Naatesan has turned rubbish into riches by recycling e-waste into eye-catching works of art. Starting in 1999, Hari has created works of art including a life-size yellow Volkswagen beetle, a flamboyance of flamingos and a steampunk-inspired clock tower.

Haris Volkswagen Käfer besteht aus über 2.805 Schrottteilen, darunter 800 Zündkerzen, 200 Flaschendeckel, 60 Motherboards, Audiokassetten, Schreibmaschinen, Stifte und Grillstöcke.

Functioning as a street light as well as a reminder of the migration of local flamingos in the area, this gigantic sculpture is made from redundant automobile parts like petrol tanks of a bike, shock absorbers, head lights, and more.

Haribaabu is from from Kerala and was brought up in Chennai where he  graduated from the Chennai Government College of Fine Arts with a BSc degree in visual communication in 1999.

"Mein Kontostand war unterdurchschnittlich. Meine Freunde und Verwandten begannen, meine Entscheidung in Frage zu stellen. Sie sagten: 'Paagal hai tu! Kyun struggle kar raha hai?' (Du bist verrückt, warum kämpfst du?). Aber ich habe nicht aufgegeben."

He became the first recipient of the Bajaj Art Gallery fellowship award which led to commissioned projects and within a year, he had set up a studio in Mumbai. In his work he has recycled several tonnes of e-waste and made over 100 sculptures.

Schmuck aus Elektroschrott

Eliza Walter founded ‘Lylie’s’ in 2017 aged 24 after training as a goldsmith in London’s Hatton Garden. After learning about the possibility of e-mining whilst at school, she pursued the idea of a circular supply chain through university, whilst completing her goldsmiths training and working for two Bond Street jewellers.

She designs and creates jewellery made with e-waste, salvaging the precious metals from discarded technology. Lylie’s taps into two hugely popular trends – sustainability and customisation.

I hope that it becomes the norm for a customer to ask who made which parts, and where. And for them, when considering a purchase, to send the chosen brand all unworn/unwanted/broken pieces, to be recycled in exchange for credit against the new piece.

Tragbare Kunst in Kenia

Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru describes himself as “one of nature’s soldiers”. The 35-year-old collects rubbish from the streets of  Nairobi and creates wearable sculptures from glasses embellished with bottle tops, beads and bits of wire, to beautiful bicycles.

"Wenn ich unterwegs bin, sammle ich einfach. Aber heutzutage wissen die Leute, was ich will. Ich bekomme glänzende Metalle, sogar etwas Draht und Kupfer - sehr bunten Müll", sagt er. "Wenn es Plastik ist, bekommen wir ein sehr helles Plastik. Sie haben einzigartigen Müll. Sehr sauber."

Find out how Computer Aid’s IT disposal service helps combat e-waste here