Pieter Hugo
South Africa, b. 1976
Untitled, from the series Permanent Error
2017
Photograph
Yossi Milo Gallery
The 15-acre site of the Agbogbloshie Market is located on the west side of the Odaw River in the city of Accra, the capital of Ghana. It is the country’s largest center for e-waste recycling and disposal. Manual disassembly of e-waste parts as well as burning certain plastic or rubber components of computers to collect the copper or aluminum inside of them, which will then be resold. As captured above, this dangerous recycling process is largely done by Ghanaian youths without protection from chemicals leaving them susceptible to a myriad of health complications such as respiratory diseases, lead poisoning, and lung cancer caused by burning emissions. When asked by Hugo about the pit where old devices were burned, the workers at Agbogbloshie repeatedly responded: “For this place, we have no name.” In his exhibition, Hugo sets forth images of the apocalyptic reality that our civilization is headed towards if our practices don’t soon change.
Yasmeen Wirth ‘22
Bibliography:
Hugo, Pieter. “Pieter Hugo.” Prix Pictet, https://www.prixpictet.com/portfolios/disorder-shortlist/pieter-hugo/statement/.
Pieter Hugo’s artist statement on a reliable art gallery website, these are his own words on the work that he does as well as it’s intended the message
Hugo, Pieter. “Permanent Error.” GUP, www.gupmagazine.com/portfolios/pieter-hugo/permanent-error.
An online exhibition of Pieter Hugo’s “Permanent Error” exhibition, the website also includes an artist’s statement from Hugo explaining the intended message behind his works.
Caravanos, Jack, et al. “Assessing Worker and Environmental Chemical Exposure Risks at an e-Waste Recycling and Disposal Site in Accra, Ghana.” Journal of Health and Pollution, vol. 1, no. 1, 2011, pp. 16–25., doi:10.5696/jhp.v1i1.22.
This journal publication outlines some of the chemical repercussions of continuous exposure to the fumes emitted by waste burning at Agbogbloshie.
Feldt, Torsten, et al. “High Levels of PAH-Metabolites in Urine of e-Waste Recycling Workers from Agbogbloshie, Ghana.” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 466-467, 2014, pp. 369–376., doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.097.
A scientific article detailing the impact of a specific metabolite on the inhabitants of communities surrounding the e-waste site, specifically PAH.
