Spectral Yard is a gaming console made from electronic waste recovered from cantonal sorting facilities. Plugging a device into this frankenstein console gives life to a plant taking root in one of its multiple ports. For a period of six months, I worked with two e-waste recovery groups in the Geneva area, gathering parts taken from old devices—circuit boards, USB ports, connectors.

When you plug any device into one of its many ports—a phone, a spectral plant starts growing on the screen like it’s taking root. Every connection calls forth a ghost that’s tied to the specific object it’s linked with.These spectres exist side by side, moving together and forming a visual ecosystem that’s always changing. Spectral Yard is made by hand, crafted as a unique piece. This formal choice also takes a clear stand against the global electronics industry, which is known for heavy pollution, resource extraction, and imperialist practices in its supply chains.

This project works with local makers and reuse groups in Geneva to try out different ways of making electronics. It looks at what electronics could be if they were slower, unique, tied closely to a place, and careful about using what’s already there. The screen turns into a haunted place, filled with the digital spirits of things we used to think were gone for good. The casing was made in a fab lab by melting down leftover 3D printing scraps and turning them into new sheets of material.