Implosions: Participatory research To build and Share knowledge

Working with community members and professional experts, TA fosters deep learning and discovery through systems analysis and identifies the best solutions within reach. In particular we utilize “Implosions”* to bring a 360-degree perspective to collective discovery.

The Implosion is a process for collective knowledge building and sharing. Together, we discover and diagram the hidden systems and networks within seemingly simple objects that drive environmental and climate injustices. Implosions are a teach-in method to connect and galvanize intersectional dimensions, networks, and communities into more effective, multi-dimensional movements and coalitions.

Understanding, unpacking, and analyzing complex systems is a fundamental part of our praxis. The ‘implosion’ is a unique and fascinating research method for exploring hidden connections and complexities, pioneered and developed by professor Donna Haraway. Because the implosion method fosters the development of concrete, situated knowledge, it is especially useful for helping us to understand the world as it is rather than as it is perceived through the often subjective lenses of ideology, politics or personal perspective. Trash Academy prefers to address the serious issues of climate change and environmental justice through the point of entry of fun and creativity, so we visualize and diagram the implosion rather than relying exclusively on text. Trash Academy's implosions visualize the way in which common objects "live" in the world around us, and how the world "lives" in them.

Toilet Paper Implosion

Plastic Bag Implosion

DRYWALL AND DUMPING IMPLOSION

COVID AND CLIMATE IMPLOSION