Conflict Tech #1
Street
2013—09
Helsinki, FI
Helsinki, FI
Hand-colored digital print pasted on concrete wall
The mobile phone brand Nokia is the pride and glory of Finland. And the Fins largley consider themselves an anti-colonial state with a history of struggle for autonomy from both Soviet and Swedish influence.
What many Fins do not know, however, is the amount of conflict minerals that go into the making of Nokia phones, minerals sourced from heavy conflict zones in the heart of Africa, where said minerals are in many cases the very root of conflict.
This large-scale wheatpaste depicts a woman waiting for a telephone call. Her phone buzzes, and she receives a “Breaking News” message informing her of the collapse of a Tungsten mine in the Congo, resulting in the death of many of its workers.
Created during a residency at HIAP
Street photos by Tzorzis Rallis. Studio photo by Liisa Takala.
The mobile phone brand Nokia is the pride and glory of Finland. And the Fins largley consider themselves an anti-colonial state with a history of struggle for autonomy from both Soviet and Swedish influence.
What many Fins do not know, however, is the amount of conflict minerals that go into the making of Nokia phones, minerals sourced from heavy conflict zones in the heart of Africa, where said minerals are in many cases the very root of conflict.
This large-scale wheatpaste depicts a woman waiting for a telephone call. Her phone buzzes, and she receives a “Breaking News” message informing her of the collapse of a Tungsten mine in the Congo, resulting in the death of many of its workers.
Created during a residency at HIAP
Street photos by Tzorzis Rallis. Studio photo by Liisa Takala.