Technology today has evolved to such an advanced point that we as a kind, use it to fulfil our daily and human needs. We trust it to keep our money, to protect us and even to feed us. While technological objects get more and more integrated with our lives, we are losing all understanding of them. Perhaps it is our ignorance, or technology has simply evolved to a point far too complicated for the average human mind to understand.
My project aims to inspire a change in how we view electronics, how we use them, how much we know of them and how sustainable they can be. The green issue about electronics has become increasingly apparent in the last decade and we must now find a new system to make the electronic parts de-constructable and recyclable, even re-usable. The connections of the Exhibitionist Radio propose de-constructible circuitry without any solder. The silver and brass tubes replace the circuit board and allow singular components to be replaced. The life cycle of the object is then increased incredibly, as every component can be very easily replaced, hence the radio is easily fixed.
Our obsession with size is challenged by the size of the Exhibitionist radio. Yes, it could have been as large as a battery, but it is not. It is designed to attract attention and to display information in a clear matter. It is built to be the centre piece of the room, a topic of conversation and even a piece of art. Consumers today have no amazement left; they do not appreciate the history of their objects and their inner workings. We only look for them to fulfil a function, ignoring the process and material content of that function. All our objects are covered in plastic casing which most of the time is glued together to never be opened again.
Our upgrade culture is consequence of our advances in mass production techniques. Objects are cheaper to replace then to fix today, therefore our objects are now built to not be fixed. This is serious part of why our electronics aren't sustainable. They are built to be cheap and to be discarded, not recycled. We need de-constructable objects with easy to recycle material and components made to be re-used even if the object's life cycle is over.
The Exhibitionist Radio also goes a step further and bares its essential components and all its connections. Knowing the major components and the connections between the components is the first step to understanding an object. Even familiarising the viewer with the electronics components and circuits is a step away from our oblivion of these objects we trust and need so much.
