Monday, May 21, 2012

Upcycled Circuit

As a fashion student (and a former fine arts student), I regularly search the web for inspirational images.  In fact, I keep a file on my computer called ‘inspiration’. It’s even divided into sub-folders for all different categories I feel they best belong to. Recently, however, some of my files have been damaged due to computer viruses. I don’t know exactly how it happened because I’m not extremely tech-savvy, but after that incident, I realized that antivirus software is something no computer user should be without.

“Files which have been damaged by computer viruses”, are according to Wikipedia, “normally damaged beyond recovery. Anti-virus software removes the virus code from the file during disinfection, but this does not always restore the file to its undamaged state. In such circumstances, damaged files can only be restored from existing backups; installed software that is damaged requires re-installation”. So if you like saving photos from the Internet as much as I do, you should always have a backup of all your precious files to prevent data loss in case of logical or hardware damage.

Speaking of computers, have you ever imagined an accessory made of computer innards? Well, electronic hardware takes a surprisingly pretty turn with Milan-based art director, designer, and self-described “alchemical experimenter” Paola Mirai’s Cirkùita collection. I’ve seen some accessories made from old circuit boards, but none as luxe-looking as those by her. Her collection changes pieces of old technology devices such as computer parts, clock springs, watch cogs, and other technological detritus, into elegant fashion accessories. She suspends these castoff parts in a home-brewed resin called Orotrasparente.

Now the once hidden parts are for the entire world to see and we can simply appreciate their beauty. I think it’s a brilliant move on her part. It’s amazing how she discovered the veiled personality of discarded electronic components. It’s difficult to reuse and make tech look up-to-date in a good way. You would never know it’s reused and to me that’s when design is successful. Watch the making of video below:

Photos and video courtesy of Paola Mirai