Publisher Description

Ctrl-X. A topography of e-waste explores the irresponsible handling of limited resources, one of the most pressing problems of our globalized world today. In this book Kai Löffelbein follows the electronic-waste trails from Europe and the United States to the post-apocalyptic scenery of Agbogbloshie in Ghana, the e-waste city of Guiyu in China and the backyard workshops of New Delhi. Here he meticulously documents the appalling conditions under which workers, sometimes even children, attempt to recover any valuable raw materials contained in our e-waste, refuse that is illegally exported from the West in order to bypass expensive recycling.In an increasingly digitized world, a life without electronic devices seems inconceivable for us: computers, cell phones, MP3 players and tablets have become our daily companions. And as long as we continue to define ourselves by the products we consume - the latest smartphone, the fastest processor and the thinnest laptop - the millions of tons of e-waste produced annually will continue to increase.Kai Löffelbein has a keen eye for the spectacular, but also for significant details... His pictures are superbly composed, of the highest quality, beautiful in the classical sense and very impressive, but they are also analytical and political, and never succumb to the danger of over-aestheticization. They open our eyes and inspire us. James Nachtwey

Author Biography

Kai Löffelbein was born in Germany in 1981 and studied documentary photography in Hanover. He has since worked in South America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, devoting himself to long-term projects that capture the impacts on common people and the environment left by socio-political and economic phenomena. Löffelbein has exhibited internationally and his awards include the Henri Nannen Prize, the UNICEF Photo of the Year Award, The New York Photo Award, the DAYS JAPAN International Photojournalism Award, the FotoVisura Photography Grant and the Px3 Prix de la Photographie. He is one of the Critical Mass Top 50 Selected Artists and recently received a grant from the Magnum Foundation.

Review

Löffelbein's ability to enter into these worlds mirrors his ability to create intense, intimate portraits of a reality that feels like the provenance of sci-fi fantasy, a nihilistic image of the twenty-first century.--Miss Rosen "Huck"
The hellish e-waste graveyards where computers are mined for metal.--Michael Hardy "Wired"

Long Description

In this book Kai Loffelbein (born 1981) follows the electronic-waste trails from Europe and the US to Agbogbloshie in Ghana, the e-waste city of Guiyu in China and the workshops of New Delhi. He meticulously documents the appalling conditions under which workers, sometimes even children, attempt to recover valuable raw materials contained in e-waste.

Review Quote

The hellish e-waste graveyards where computers are mined for metal.

Details