In 2021, we had the opportunity to design the compelling photo zine “Secondary Raw Materials,” a collaborative project by Camera Electronica and PUNKT Workshop.
This project stems from photographer Boryana Pandova’s ongoing series, “Objects of Inattention” where she meticulously observes and captures overlooked elements of our environment. “Secondary Raw Materials” is its latest installment, a collaborative work with Maria Paunova and Ivaylo Mitev, the creative force behind PUNKT Workshop.
The exhibition associated with this project features photographic transfers and functional sculptures, drawing our attention to items typically deemed insignificant—accidental debris, broken objects, or simply disregarded elements of the urban landscape. The core subjects are city flowers fallen from trees and shrubs, and discarded household items found in the city’s neglected corners. Through their artistic interplay, Pandova, Paunova, and Mitev spark a dialogue about value and perception. Boryana’s camera captures seed pods and inflorescences, which are then transferred onto wooden panels. These are presented either individually or assembled into larger compositions alongside Maria and Ivaylo’s sculptures, inviting viewers to see beauty and meaning in the seemingly mundane.
This approach aims to highlight a fundamental truth: there is no “waste” in nature, where everything transitions seamlessly from one state to another. Instead, waste is a distinctly human creation—one that is certainly not glamorous but undoubtedly vast. The photographic transfers within the project serve as a “tool for comparing natural cycles with our unbalanced and perpetually procrastinating waste management policy.” Thus, “Secondary Raw Materials” serves as a potent reminder that we are living in a critical period, with climate reports flashing red warnings that numerous environmental boundaries have been crossed and our time for action is almost exhausted.
We also organized media coverage of the project. You can find out more about at ВИЖ! magazine – Secondary raw materials: a fragmented history of human waste.
Client: Camera Electronica
- Photo credits: Georgy Velichkov, Boryana Pandova
- Functional sculptures: PUNKT Workshop
- Font: Apparat by Lettersoup
