Seminar: Clément Renaud

“Artisanal Electronics: Digital Repair Cultures” was a mini-conference we held at July 6.

Clément Renaud (Swiss Institute of Technology, Lausanne / ixxi, Lyon) offered an overview of the recent development of the city of Shenzhen in China and of the practices that goes with the making of technology in this special economic zone. Stressing first the historical context of the city and its special economic status, Shenzhen today attracts people from all over the country. These are mainly family businesses that start opening factories around electronics. With their lack of specific education, there is a lot of micro engineering – the process of taking things apart to understand how it work. What emerges form that is concept of the replica as well as the Shanzhai, some new types of inventive ideas that people try which is mainly possible in Shenzhen because of its fast production and recycling processes.