"The Great Recycler" (回收)
// BLURB //
For China’s population and their consumption has been increasing, it is not surprising that China has become the greatest trash producer in the world, although an average American dumps twice as much garbage as the average Chinese person does. But a lesser known fact is that China is the greatest trash importer as well. Millions of pieces of plastic, paper and metal that are collected for recycling in Europe and the United States end up here, adding to the 250 million tons of garbage produced locally each year. In the past decades a massive informal recycling industry transformed rural Chinese cities into recycling complexes of which the crew members are the scavengers. Many farmers and day laborers switched to this new lifestyle, roaming around the cities collecting trash, for they can earn more and experience wider freedom than working on farms and in factories. They have become a common sight all over the country. Washing machines, refrigerators, cell phones or old computers. If they find anything broken, they will buy it up in order to remove what still can be used or resold.
For China’s population and their consumption has been increasing, it is not surprising that China has become the greatest trash producer in the world, although an average American dumps twice as much garbage as the average Chinese person does. But a lesser known fact is that China is the greatest trash importer as well. Millions of pieces of plastic, paper and metal that are collected for recycling in Europe and the United States end up here, adding to the 250 million tons of garbage produced locally each year. In the past decades a massive informal recycling industry transformed rural Chinese cities into recycling complexes of which the crew members are the scavengers. Many farmers and day laborers switched to this new lifestyle, roaming around the cities collecting trash, for they can earn more and experience wider freedom than working on farms and in factories. They have become a common sight all over the country. Washing machines, refrigerators, cell phones or old computers. If they find anything broken, they will buy it up in order to remove what still can be used or resold.
EDITION, MEDIA, SIZE & WEIGHT
Unique Edition, Shanghai 2016
Oil painting on canvas, teakwood frame
106(W)×96(H)×6.5(D) cm // 8.16 kg (framed)
CRATE SIZE & WEIGHT
117(W)×106(H)×15(D) cm // 21.5 kg
EXPOSURE
“Wallism” at island6 ShGarden
CREDITS
Jin Yun 金云 (painting) • Thomas Charvériat (art direction) • Yeung Sin Ching 杨倩菁 (documentation & production supervisor) • András Gál (blurb)
Unique Edition, Shanghai 2016
Oil painting on canvas, teakwood frame
106(W)×96(H)×6.5(D) cm // 8.16 kg (framed)
CRATE SIZE & WEIGHT
117(W)×106(H)×15(D) cm // 21.5 kg
EXPOSURE
“Wallism” at island6 ShGarden
CREDITS
Jin Yun 金云 (painting) • Thomas Charvériat (art direction) • Yeung Sin Ching 杨倩菁 (documentation & production supervisor) • András Gál (blurb)