Currents 118: Elias Sime

Ethiopian artist Elias Sime (born 1968) creates large-scale modular artworks from discarded technological material such as electrical wires, circuit boards, motherboards, and computer keys. Sime breaks, weaves, collages, and burns these materials to create abstract images that suggest nature, urban views, and even figures. Contemporary artist Elias Sime’s use of the detritus of technological progress touches on diverse themes ranging from environmentalism and globalization to the history of modern art. Sime sources these materials in his hometown of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the Merkato, the biggest open-air market in Africa.