After the Circuits Died: Exploring electronic waste

In this event, organized by The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum, visitors are invited to follow a group of artists and cultural theorists in a one-day exploration of electronic waste.

‘Electronic waste’ or ‘e-waste’ is a generic term for electric and electronic equipment that have ceased to be of value to their owners. A pile of discarded computers, telephones, printers, and microwaves will be delivered to the museum. This material will be explored by four artists and two cultural theorists, who are specialized in consumer electronics and waste, during a workshop open to visitors.

The day will conclude with a presentation of the work-in-progress by the artists, in discussion with the two cultural theorists.

Artists: Paul Granjon, Jonathan Kemp, Dani Ploeger, Madaleine Trigg

Theorists: Dr Neil Maycroft, Dr Toby Miller

This event is part of the AHRC-funded research project ‘Bodies of Planned Obsolescence: Digital performance and the global politics of electronic waste’, which is aimed at exploring and developing strategies in digital performance art, cultural studies, and science, to engage with the political, sociological and ecological issues around electronic waste in countries that export (UK) and import (Nigeria and China) used technology.

www.e-waste-performance.net

Image: electronic waste from Europe at a market in Lagos, Nigeria, 2013. Photo by Dani Ploeger