Elias Sime Weaves Connections Between Ancient Ethiopian Craft Traditions and Today’s Technology

A detail of an artwork made using wires and electronic components.

Photo by Lisa Whiting Photography. All images shared © Elias Sime, courtesy of GRIMM and James Cohan Gallery, shared with permission

Thousands of microchips, terminals, nails, letter keys, and lengths of wire transform into spectacular, monumental sculptures by acclaimed Ethiopian artist Elias Sime. In his exhibition Eregata እርጋታ at Arnolfini in Bristol, he highlights assemblages made from everyday materials, especially discarded technological detritus like computer keys, circuit boards, wires, and other electronic objects.

Sime draws on ancient Ethiopian carving, beading rituals, and weaving techniques to connect a rich artistic heritage to contemporary mass production and consumerism. The title, Eregata እርጋታ, is derived from the artist’s language, Amharic, the meaning of which Sime translates as tranquility, calmness, or serenity.

Though his undulating, patterned pieces may on one hand appear meditational, he plumbs the tension between our reliance on technology and our sense of well-being or ability to be present. “We struggle to stop and sleep because our brains are constantly stimulated by technology—we are constantly moving faster, not slower,” he says. He instead pushes back against the tide, emphasizing a practice that requires patience, discipline, and a painstaking attention to detail.

Detail of a red and white sculpture made from electronic wire and computer keys.

Detail of “Tightrope: Concave Triangle #2” (2020)

A series of dozens of anthropomorphic ceramic pots titled Bareness winds through the galleries, each vessel a slightly different shape or size, with arms outstretched or wearing scarves around their necks. This sprawling installation draws attention to Sime’s focus on collaboration, community, and togetherness.

The artist spends years on some of his pieces, collecting the type or amount of material he needs to complete one work, which often takes on the patterned appearance of large textiles. Eregata እርጋታ includes the monumental assemblage “Veiled Whispers,” which comprised part of a major installation he presented at the 2022 Venice Biennale, and many pieces from Sime’s ongoing Tightrope series span architectural surfaces, incorporating thousands of yards of wire.

From a distance, Sime’s architectonic sculptures are topographical, evocative of gridded city streets. But up close, the hidden pieces of the technologies that influence our everyday lives become apparent in intricate detail.

Eregata እርጋታ continues through February 18. Find more on Arnolfini’s website.