Today, approximately 142,000 computers are discarded every day in the United States.

While this is considered a very serious problem, Dell, a major computer company headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, is tackling it in a unique way. It is a global program to collect and recycle unwanted computers, with the aim of raising awareness and getting as many people involved in recycling as possible.

Dell has developed technology to extract gold and plastic from old computer components, making it possible to create new parts from them. This concept of using the "past" to create the "future" resonated with artist Von Wong, who is known for taking photographs that make unrealistic scenes appear almost realistic. As he is keen to collaborate with companies that have a positive social impact, he was interested in Dell's work and this project came to fruition.

He was provided with approximately 1,800 kilograms of electronic waste as raw materials. This is said to be equivalent to the weight of electrical waste produced by one American in their lifetime. Wong used social media to recruit volunteers to work with him, and 50 people gathered, and production finally began. The team worked together for a total of 10 days, working for more than 10 hours a day. Due to limited time and budget, one of the members suggested using forced perspective, a technique that limits the angle from which the subject can be photographed, to cover this.



The project resulted in three pieces: a piece that evokes the image of a futuristic spaceship, with keyboards densely packed together; a mysterious piece that resembles an approaching wave, with circuit boards combined to create a sand art-like vortex of laptops. The discarded items will be put into Dell's recycling machines for reuse. Wong hopes that this project will help spread awareness of recycling and make it a positive topic.


In addition to this project, you can see other works with strong messages, such as one that recreates the ocean using discarded plastic bottles, on the official website.


This article has been translated and written with permission from (Source: http://www.vonwong.com/).