At the heart of this project is an extensive collection of Swiss rubbish bags which shape the image of many Swiss communities with their often unnoticed everyday aesthetics. This collection aims to promote a critical reflection on the sense and nonsense of our daily waste, but also on its hidden beauty as a part of our lifestyle and identity. Globally, Switzerland ranks among the top countries in the recycling of reusable materials. The flipside of this exemplary position shows, however, that the recycling rate is so high because we consume accordingly and therefore produce so much waste. In this context, it is increasingly important to shed light on waste management which mostly takes place in the shadows of society.
Devised as an ethnographic research tool, the resulting eclectic collection is based on the Swiss waste landscape and intended to be supplemented and expanded continuously. On the project’s website, visitors have the opportunity – as if inspecting waste – to rifle through content, create taxonomies, sort insights and broaden their understanding of the multifaceted waste system.
In this project, Tim Köhli looks at what could be called the flipside of design: waste. With his collection, he brings an everyday object into focus, one that we are very used to and that is a familiar sight on Swiss streets. The subject is treated in a comprehensive and easily accessible way, thus raising many further questions, for instance, about the make-up of our domestic waste, possibilities for recycling or the graphic design of the bags. An intriguing exploration of a topical issue, without a moralising stance.
Links:
trendsandidentity.zhdk.ch/diplom-2021/ba-diplome/gebuehrensaecke
kehrichtseite.ch
«I would like to continue asking and exploring questions concerning socially relevant topics – just as I did in my B.A. project.» – Tim Köhli
