Jonas Westendorp - ArtEZ Alumni Index

The Cabinet of Zombie Media’ showcases a collection of “undead” media: electronics that have taken on new forms of life after their intended use. This cabinet is an ongoing research project that explores the fragile relationships we form with electronics. For a short period, we use or even carry around these devices daily, trusting them with our intimate memories and experiences only to discard them once a new version comes out. This lifecycle creates a highly complex stream of electronic waste (e-waste), a consequence of planned obsolescence: we humans create these artificial life forms, and so their eventual death is also planned. However, reaching the end of their intended lifecycle does not mean these electronics are ‘dead’. While the traces of their human owners fade away, these media remain in a state of suspense, awaiting a new purpose independent of human interaction.

ARTIST BIO

Jonas is an interface designer and a hoarder of electronics. Taking up inter-face as 'the site in between faces,' Jonas interprets the term as a place where we imprint thoughts from our “faces" onto the face of our media devices. In this way, his work acknowledges the face of the devices we use. Seeing interface as the interpreter between human language and the language of devices, Jonas' work examines what is lost in this translation. His artistic process often involves bricolage, programming, and hacking techniques, taking inspiration from Solarpunk and open-source movements. Through his work, Jonas aims to demonstrate that the ideals of these movements are not mere (science) fiction, but can be realised today. His aim is to challenge people's relationship with electronics, encouraging individuals to dismantle and understand their devices, thus reclaiming ownership from big tech.