Deserted Devices and Wasted Fences: Everyday Technologies in Extreme Circumstances

Deserted Devices and Wasted Fences explores how technologies that were intended for everyday consumer culture start to (mal)function, gain new meanings, and are appropriated in unexpected places, offering insights into alternative techno-cultures.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 120 pages
Publication date: 25 November 2021
Publisher: Triarchy Press

In her book "Deserted Devices and Wasted Fences," artist and cultural critic Dani Ploeger delves into the unexpected contexts in which everyday technologies are found and utilized. Through her travels to various sites of turmoil, disruption, and surprising convergences, including second-hand markets in sub-Saharan Africa, the frontline of the Russo-Ukrainian War, desert landscapes in the Middle East, and anti-immigration fences along the EU border, Ploeger explores the ways in which technologies intended for mainstream consumer culture begin to malfunction, acquire new meanings, and are appropriated in these liminal spaces. By examining these instances, Ploeger offers insights into what alternative techno-cultures could entail.

The book consists of a collection of essays that provoke unconventional perspectives on the development, use, and reappropriation of technologies in support of personal, local, and regional lifeworlds and lifestyles. Ploeger challenges the dominant narratives surrounding technology and offers alternative visions for its future. Through her thought-provoking writing, Ploeger encourages readers to consider the ways in which technologies can be designed, deployed, and repurposed to promote greater autonomy, sustainability, and well-being.

"Deserted Devices and Wasted Fences" is a valuable contribution to the field of technology studies and offers a fresh perspective on the complex relationship between technology, culture, and society. It is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the boundaries of technology and the potential for new forms of techno-cultures to emerge in the years to come.

Dimension: 198 x 129 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913743437