Elias Sime

James Cohan Gallery, New York

Acquired from the above by the present owner

‘Forget the composition; the material itself has purpose. Sometimes, just the tiniest material can tell the whole story.’ 

—Elias Sime 

Ethiopian artist Elias Sime is known for creating intricate, large-scale works using recycled e-waste such as keyboards, electrical wiring, and motherboards, sourced from the Minalesh Tera Market in Addis Ababa. In this bustling marketplace, Sime sifts through discarded materials from across the globe, reflecting on their journey to the Ethiopian capital from wherever they were made. For the artist, even the smallest, most seemingly irrelevant material can tell a larger story—one of global interdependence and societal connectivity. 

‘We share. We all share the same language. This [shirt] button in my language is called ‘qulef.’ In your language, it is called something else. But we are all talking about the same button. Aren’t you amazed that all humans are in one rhythm? This button found in Ethiopia could have come from anywhere in the world. Imagine how far it has travelled…to just end up here. This is what I feel whenever I collect these materials…’ 

—Elias Sime 

The present lot forms part of Sime’s Tightrope series, which debuted at the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art in Clinton, New York, in 2019 before traveling to the Akron Art Museum (2020), the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (2020), and the Royal Ontario Museum (2021). In this seminal series, Sime meticulously interweaves hundreds of electrical wires to create a mesmerizing aerial topographical view. This technique, which runs throughout the series, invites viewers to engage with the work on multiple levels. Up close, one can discern individual components, each carrying its own journey and multinational and dimensional history. From afar, we take in the grandeur and seemingly endless interdependence of all the parts, and even further, of our global society. 

Sime's artistic philosophy transcends mere recycling; he views these electronic components as a reflection of contemporary society. By repurposing e-waste, he creates abstract compositions that serve as a commentary on our relationship with technology and its effects on society and the environment. The Tightrope series explores the delicate balance between technological advancement and its consequences, challenging viewers to contemplate the impact of our increasingly connected world. 

Elias Sime's work has garnered significant recognition, with pieces from the Tightrope series featured in prestigious institutions such as The Met, New York; The Hood Museum, Dartmouth; The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City; The Pizzuti Collection of Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus; The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; and The Norval Foundation, Cape Town. Sime is also the co-founder of Zoma Museum in Addis Ababa, an environmentally minded art center that opened in 2019.