In the year 2049, we might find ourselves mining our landfills for raw materials. This is the scenario that this installation poses to viewers, asking visitors to envision how we can re-imagine garbage in the year 2049.
Scott Kildall created these sculptures and blueprints from materials entirely sourced from Recology San Francisco (a.k.a. The Dump) as part of a 4-month long artist residency. During this time, he played the role of a prospector from the year 2049, who mined the landfill and created imaginary devices to help him survive. Examples include the Sniffer, which is a scent based resource-detector, and The Universal Mailbox, which enables you to send a message to anyone, at any place at any time.
Central to this installation is “Imagine 2049” — a time capsule, which will be buried on the grounds of the New York Hall of Science and opened 36 years after the Regeneration show. Anyone who visits the museum or the Imagine2049.com website can submit a positive vision of 2049, sharing hopes of what life could be like in the year 2049. The time capsule encourages everyone to think specifically about how to reuse what we throw away.
About the Artist
Scott Kildall creates algorithms, sculptures, performances and videos, which repurpose networks of communication and production. His work frequently explores themes of future-thinking and translation between the virtual and the real. He has exhibited his work in galleries and museums internationally in numerous cities including London, Berlin, New York and Hong Kong. His art studio is in San Francisco and he also works in the New Media Studio at the Exploratorium.
