Growing plants in e-waste 2009

DESCRIPTION

Digital ecology is the documentation (website and book) of a garden growing in defunct computer parts.

CONCEPT

This project takes aim at raising the issue of e-waste and how to deal with the “technologization” of our society. I wanted to explore what it meant to be among the technology leaders of the world, and having to dispose of hardware that becomes obsolete in a very short amount of time.

I went to a used computer store in Montreal and acquired old hardware components that were destined to be thrown away. I brought them home, took them apart, filled the different pieces with soil and put various plant and flower seeds in them. In the weeks that followed, I looked after them and documented the growing process, transforming “e-waste” in a receptacle for new life. The result was a book, printed and bound.

TECHNOLOGY

Old, dirty computer peripherals, soil, seeds, paper, ink and book binding materials.

PUBLICATION

Growing plants and e-waste was part of the Exposed 09′ – The Social Body show at Art-Mûr gallery in Montreal. The complete artist statement, picture gallery and book images are available on my website page.