Ghostly Presence describes the fictional future of an e-waste city called Gomorrah. The architects made “the E-waste Disposer” to dispose of the waste, which eventually caused an explosion that ruined the city. The story reveals the tragedy at the end of the global waste trade chain through allusion and metaphor, and how mankind has placed its hope on technological advances and improved recycling systems to cover up this frightening and disturbing disaster.
View full article at: Fairy Tales Winners 2020
View full article at: Fairy Tales Winners 2020
Ghostly Presence
Design FictionCollabrator: Jiawei Liang
Year: 2019
Prize: Fairy Tales Competition Honorable Mention
Publication: Blank Space Project Press - Fairy Tales 2020
As the city is renewed each day, it preserves all of it self in its only
definitive form: yesterday's sweepings piled up on the sweepings of the
day before yesterday and of all its days and years and decades.
- Invisible Cities
During the previous decades, Gomorrah became known as a destination for electronic scrap from newly industrialized countries. Billions of tons of e-waste were illegally exported to this border town. After processing, the electronic materials would circulate into the global industry chain. A fascinating illusion of modern society is that garbage is invisible in daily life. The Gomorrah becomes the ghostly presence, the most rigorous and conservative secret of our time.
The tremendous amount of scrap and the following pollution contribute to the harsh living conditions. Whereas, the inhabitants here affiliate to the ground as they are migrants from rural areas, thus suffering from the toxic air and unknown hazardous hurt of their food, land, nerve system, and even brain. Only after the tragic photos of Gomorrah were exposed, harsh criticism from the nationwide community has surfaced, saying that the government and the tech companies should take responsibility. The Environmental Protection Agency had to take measures. Before long, a tower called “the E-waste Disposer” has been launched, which can be used for processing, recycling, purification, and research purpose. After five year’s construction, the Disposer is recently revealed to the public.
Gomorrah would have a fabulous shift comparing to five years ago!” Mr. Moore signed. “In the old days, it was just a desperate slum with countless electronic scrap, hidden in the dark. However, the Disposer lights up the torch for the first time.”
“What a striking comment!” said the project manager. “When tons of the e-waste is sent to the Disposer, the Disposer would firstly run a garbage classification and separated them according to size, shape, and usage. The e-waste would be transported to the factories for further recycling work. This creates a lot of work opportunities for local inhabitants.
“The E-waste Disposer is the gorgeous miracles that I have ever seen.” Mr. Moore shouted with excitement when he went closer to the lit room and the high-speed spinning e-waste classification room.
“It’s time for the open ceremony.” The project manager whispered.
“Yes, Good morning everyone, welcome to the E-waste Disposer. I am very delight to announce that the E-waste Disposer is officially launched today. From now on, we have a new machine that helps us to protect our homeland – Gomorrah!”
Mr. Moore opens a bottle of champagne and announces the celebration They think that the future of blessedness and pollution-free will come. Where E-waste will gain the right and legitimacy to flow freely around the world, and where it will spread around the world, Technological advances have paradoxically and optimistically defused this uneasy modern disaster.
Late at night, the project manager walked back to the control room to inspect the machine, He is still not satisfied although everything is in order, He shouted angrily at the staff: " Speed Up! There will be no progress without exceeding common sense!
The high speed running of the machines were too heavy to handle, and the temperature grew so high that it could not be controlled. The heat melted the protective layer of the wires, causing an explosion in the reaction zone, The blast ripped off several floors and destroyed the top-floor chemistry lab, whose products triggered a second explosion that flames raging. The residents of Gomorrah awoke to sleep, watching the blaze from a distance in horror, despair and helpless.
After an unknown amount of time, the flames faded and the Gomorrah caught back into darkness. The reality does not seem to have changed. Gomorrah remains the destination of modern society's waste anxiety, a global infrastructure network that creates and presents two fault interspace distribution, and e-waste remains a Ghostly Presence. For recyclers, e-waste is both life-threatening and vital. They are both involved in ecological violence and victims at the same time. The E-waste tower became a sweet dream, and it didn't act as an angel when sulfur and fire came.
