Paper short abstract:

The audio walk based on a GPS-enabled recycled smartphone is dealing with cleaning and disposal processes of ‚waste’ in the Swiss-German-French border area. Topics of the walk regarding aspects of a smartphone’s life cycle will be presented at appropriate site-specific places in Barcelona.

Paper long abstract:

The audio walk Traces of Waste looks at processes of cleaning and disposal in the trinational region of Basel/Switzerland, bordering Germany and France. Travel routes are observed for (an)organic matter, ‚waste', which is considered nowadays as well as dynamic and transformable, as a ‚new' resources.

The audio walk leading along the Rhine river offers a manifold access providing (future) scenarios ranging from science-fiction to ‚documentary' modes, from spoken word to noises creating closeness respectively irritation towards encountered situations or objects.

Using recycled smartphones the GPS-based audiowalk reflects with its technological requirement not only aspects as regards content (eg. problematics of raw material and recycling, re-use) but as well its medium. The own pace of exploration and passages without sound are important to enable a diverse perception of space. At best, visitors experience a kind of transformation through participation, merging the role of visitor and (empowered) actant.

The contribution for the conference panel is planned as follows:

A general introduction of the project (in or outside of the conference venue) will be followed by site-specific elements: We present topics of the audio walk - as re-use, repair of smartphones or (if possible) specific aspects of electronic waste collecting systems in Spain - at appropriate places in the city, as for instance mobile phone (repair) shops, e-waste collecting points etc. Correspondent parts of the audiowalk are presented there to show its character and atmosphere and to initiate further discussions about global aspects within a local focus.