Manifest Energy
A series of artifacts that explore the limitations and opportunities for ecologically sustainable computing, with a focus on the energy consumed in the production of our digital devices. My ITP thesis was driven by the tension of producing work with media & technology that embody the inequities and injustices we (living things on earth) must combat to survive. What would ecologically just computing look like?
A 36-frame hand crank flipbook animation shows a tiny clip of how lithium-ion batteries are manufactured.
A parellel reverse-engineered hand crank displays voltage and milliamps produced in addition to how much energy you've produced in terms of the percentage needed to produce one iPhone (in 2018). The energy created by the hand crank also powers the LCD display.
I also created several custom lenticular stickers, sized to be stuck to electronics, that highlighted some aspect of their life cycle. The iPhone 6 was about 129 grams and contained 12 grams of aluminum. Aluminum is refined from bauxite, and about 4 times as much bauxite is needed to refine one part of aluminum. When you hold an iPhone 6, you can feel the weight of the bauxite needed to produce it.
My thesis also included website with sources and a presentation.