Virtual Disruption

The work composes of 3D scans of waste I found in different neighborhood in Manhattan, including the Upper West Side, Harlem, Chelsea, Murray Hill and Chinatown Neighborhood. By navigating Manhattan streets through the investigation of waste, I started to notice how “waste” represents the way inhabitants (including human and other species) live in a particular district. The ecology and the social activities that are happening in that particular neighborhood are told through the waste that were scattered on the curbside and on the streets, for instance, there are a lot of cardboard boxes, packaging and paper waste in Chinatown. On the other hand, there are a lot more food waste packages in the Murray Hill Area. Apart from representing the lifestyles of the people, I do believe the types and amount of waste could represent issues such as racial inequality. As waste represents the amount of consumption, the declination of waste collection or the surge of the amount of waste could also be an indication of accessibility. This raises the question on whether people in certain neighborhoods have the right to access basic living facilities, such as food. This also leads to the question of whether these people have the decision to protect themselves? who are the ones who are making these decisions from them?