Disassembly : Shanghai marks the second installation of the series in which museum-goers are invited to disassemble electronics in a factory-like setting while watching footage of the the global poor disassembling consumer electronics.

The installation was concurrent with a gallery exhibition of the artist's sculptures and an artist's talk.

EXHIBITED AT THE HIMALAYAS MUSEUM AND FUDAN UNIVERSITY, SHANGHAI 2017

SITE SPECIFIC
Reclaimed and reusable materials are incorporated where possible, so that each execution is a direct reflection of regional fabrication techniques and local industry. Materials are donated after deinstallation.
ENGAGEMENT
In its ambient state, the installation is an active spectacle with a rotating conveyor belt and video installation documenting the global pathway of e-waste.
INTERACTIVE
The piece is fully realized through participation by visitors and workshops, deepening its connection to the community and location where it's installed.
GALLERY EXHIBITION
An exhibition featuring the artist's sculptural works and visitor artwork constructed in workshops took place concurrently with the Disassembly installation.
Disassembly C4D
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FORMAT

Modeled after a consumer electronics factories, the Disassembly series circular ring of work stations centered around a rotating conveyor belt. At the heart of this ring is a pile of discarded electronics which, through visitor participation, grows to resemble the landscape of an e-waste village over the course of the exhibition. Among the rubbish are old monitors and TVs playing footage of poor Chinese villagers disassembling electronics.
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FORMAT

Following the format of the Disassembly series, the installation features a circular ring of work stations centered around a rotating conveyor belt, modeled after a consumer electronics factory in China. At the heart of this ring is a pile of discarded electronics which, through visitor participation, grows to resemble the landscape of an e-waste village over the course of the exhibition. Amongst the rubbish are discarded monitors and TVs playing footage of Chinese villagers disassembling electronics.
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Disassembly C4D
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360
CAPTURE


 

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WORKSHOPS


In formal workshops, participants perform the installation, bringing it to full activation.

Clad in full white hazmat suits, they break down electronic waste collected from the community, exploring curiosity in engineering and mining computers for reclaimed parts. They are instructed to haphazardly toss unwanted parts into the center of the installation, simulating the creation of an e-waste village where e-waste recycling transforms arable farmland into toxic waste sites.

The participants who are given full safety precautions serve as a foil to the video which streams on reclaimed monitors in the e-waste rubbish pile. There, the global poor disassemble our electronics in toxic conditions without any safety precautions—an indication of the true cost of global consumerism.
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WORKSHOPS

In formal workshops, participants perform the installation, bringing it to full activation.

Clad in full white hazmat suits with black rubber gloves, they break down electronic waste collected from the community, exploring curiosity in engineering and mining computers for reclaimed parts. They are instructed to haphazardly toss unwanted parts into the center of the installation, simulating the creation of an e-waste village where e-waste recycling transforms arable farmland into toxic waste sites.

The participants who are given full safety precautions serve as a foil to the video which streams on reclaimed monitors in the e-waste rubbish pile. There, the global poor disassemble our electronics in toxic conditions without any safety precautions—an indication of the true cost of global consumerism.
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CONCEPT+
PRODUCTION

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The form of "Disassembly" is a recreation of an electronics factory made from locally available materials, prioritizing environmental sustainability in its fabrication and reuse after the installation is deinstalled.

The site-specific installation is conceived of in close collaboration with the curator Chiara Chen to ensure consistency in scale, form and concept, while the fabrication and sourcing is left largely to the curator. As a result, each execution reflects the aesthetics and industrial processes of the community where it is installed. By engaging gallery staff and local resources, the installation draws equivalences between craft/trade and high art, native practices and those celebrated by the Art Institution.
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CONCEPT + PRODUCTION

The form of "Disassembly" is a recreation of an electronics factory made from locally available materials, prioritizing environmental sustainability in its fabrication and reuse after the installation is deinstalled.

The site-specific installation is conceived of in close collaboration with the curator Chiara Chen to ensure consistency in scale, form and concept, while the fabrication and sourcing is left largely to the curator. As a result, each execution reflects the aesthetics and industrial processes of the community where it is installed. By engaging gallery staff and local resources, the installation draws equivalences between craft/trade and high art, native practices and those celebrated by the Art Institution.
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GALLERY EXHIBIT

Fudan University hosted an exhibition of future artifact sculptures and an artists' talk in conjunction with the Himalayas Museum installation "Disassembly : Shanghai".
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SHANGHAI
xGUIYU

The site of Shanghai was profound, as it focused the Chinese audience and participants’ attention on their role as the world's largest market for consumer electronics juxtaposed with Guiyu, China's role as the world’s largest processor of electronic waste, the toxicity of which has wide-reaching effects.

Photography: Kai Löffelbein, Greenpeace
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SHANGHAI x GUIYU

The site of Shanghai was profound, as it focused the Chinese audience and participants’ attention on their role as the world's largest market for consumer electronics juxtaposed with Guiyu, China's role as the world’s largest processor of electronic waste, the toxicity of which has wide-reaching effects.

Photography: Kai Löffelbein, Greenpeace
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