Cityguide to Waste: Artifacts of Accumulation
Waste has become increasingly invisible in our daily lives. Innovative collection systems and efficient technologies allow us to almost deny its very existence. But what are the consequences of these increasingly covert forms of waste processing for our relationship to consumption and production? What is the actual impact on our environment, also outside our field of view? This exhibition challenges visitors to look beyond the idea of waste as an inconvenient byproduct and engage with it as a mirror of contemporary society.
Through mapping and a short documentary film, the project Cityguide to Waste: Artifacts of Accumulation investigates six regional waste processing sites and reflects on the meaning of waste in Amsterdam’s urban development, both spatially and temporally.
The documentary Artifacts of Accumulation delves into the architectures and technological processes surrounding discarded matter. It examines the transformative operations domestic and industrial waste undergo and the substances and residues left behind. By immersing in the systems of waste management, the film reveals the cultural and ecological questions our refuse raises.
What can we learn from landfills and other processing sites and their essential connection to thriving urban centers? How can designers lead a fundamental rethinking of our relationship with waste and material resources?
Explore possible paths toward a future where waste is not an afterthought but a central element in urban and ecological planning.
Architect in Residence Carolien Schippers in collaboration with LOCUMENT
This exhibition was developed by Carolien Schippers (-C-A-S-) during her tenure as Architect in Residence at Arcam (September–December 2024). The short documentary film was co-directed by Schippers and LOCUMENT (Francisco Lobo + Romea Muryń).
With contributions from Frederika Lindvall, Iza Slodka, and Paul Swagerman.