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Art and Obsolescence: Elias Sime

2,165 views · Published 13 July 2017 · 54:44 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: Chicago Humanities · 2017 · Nonprofits & Activism

Art is a powerful way to investigate how humans impact the planet. That's the approach of Ethiopian artist Elias Sime, who found himself pondering people’s preoccupation with their cellphones, and the lifecycle of these objects, from treasured devices to e-waste. He shopped the open-air markets in Addis Ababa for electronic detritus, producing monumental works from small parts: circuit boards, screws, wiring, and motherboards, the inner “guts” of computers. The results are both an unexpected view of our out-of-control technological consumption and gorgeous, abstract sculptural landscapes. Watch Sime, School of the Art Institute professor Delinda Collier, and translator Meskerem Assegued discuss art and renewal.

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