Consuming Congo
Melanie Broughton
Bachelor of Design (Hons)

Consuming Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a complex and tumultuous country, filled with political unrest and social upheaval. This turbulence has largely been motivated by conflicts concerning the wealth in the mineral-rich soil. One of these minerals is coltan, which is an essential element in the mobile phone. 'Consuming Congo' is a voice for the casualties of this mineral war, allowing consumers of technological devices to be informed of the impact the mobile phone industry has upon the DRC community. This project has been realised through jewellery design, material experimentation and video representation.