Have you ever wondered what happens to your old computers and
electronics after they are no longer needed or "obsolete"? To be honest,
I haven't.
More over, have you ever questioned whether there are negative
consequences for North America's seemingly insatiable appetite for the
latest and greatest smart phones, laptops and mobile devices? Nope,
neither have I.
This week I visited the public exhibit titled "Permanent Error" by
Pieter Hugo.
In all honesty, I had been walking past this exhibit daily, not knowing
its meaning or significance. This public display of images is actually
located on a set of Billboards at Front and Spadina (Toronto) - I had
been walking by daily, wondering why such unique photographs were posted
on billboards (and in one of the most prime locations in the city, no
less) with no description, caption or explanation. Then one day I
decided to explore - and here is what I found.
"The United Nations has stated that Western countries produce around
50 million tons of digital waste annually, and here the shocking
consequences are exposed. This installation brings awareness to consumer
culture and how the West has normalized its wasteful behaviours. Much
of this debris is shipped over to developing countries, with the false
promise that it will improve their economy. Many of the inhabitants in
this wasteland survive by burning electronic components to extract
copper and other precious metals, left with little choice but to create
toxic firepits of melting plastic and black smoke. As a result, the
surrounding landscape and rivers are contaminated with lead, cyanide,
and mercury"
"Marshall McLuhan theorized about the effects of technology and how
its pervasiveness leads to new cycles of obsolescence and retrieval. He
questioned what happens when a medium is pushed to its extreme. Hugo’s
work reveals the dark underside of a culture that values “progress”
above all else. This bleak graveyard of outdated electronic artifacts
foreshadows an apocalyptic era, while harkening back to romanticized
pastoral landscapes. These photographs are a stark reminder of the
fragility of existence, not only of people and place, but of information
and technology."
South American photographer Pieter Hugo decided to bring awareness to
the effects of North America's wasteful habits on the other side of the
globe and how one continent's innovative pursuits is at the expense of
another continent's safety and environment.
Makes you think doesn't it??? Will you think twice before you rush to
buy the latest smart phone or laptop? Whether you do or don't, at least
now you know that someone else is being affected by your decision.
For ideas on how you can "Outsmart Waste" and re-use items that you
would otherwise discard please visit
http://www.terracycle.net/
