“Lost in the system” – a poster.

“The consequences of rubbish systems for keeping track of things are very different depending on who or what is being tracked. Strategic inefficiency can be how some disappearances are not counted by being deemed “lost in the system.” If you have to complain because of failed processes, you have to enter yet more failed processes.” (Ahmed 2021, p. 96).

The previous piece was taken from chapter 2 “ON BEING STOPPED” of the book Complaint! by Sarah Ahmed, and those specific words were the inspiration to make  this A1 poster, which’s aim is to criticize the way in which the process to make a complaint turns into due to the incompetency and neglect of the systems we have to deal with.

A paper bin was chosen to simulate the system itself or more specifically, the place where complaints are supposed to end up at. A spacious, “transparent” container in which more complaints can come into: “there is space for everyone”. The paper balls are of course the complaints of each individual, but they are obviously treated as trash, wrapped up and thrown among other garbage. And here I want to connote that often complaints are not even filed or archived to be proceed in even far futures… they are just treated as trash.

“A complaint can often end up leaving you even more deeply under the influence of the organization because what you need to survive organizations can be what they can provide.” (Ahmed 2021, p. 99). This phrase appears at the end of the poster to point out that your complaint can end up really under many other (not necessarily more important) processes, because normally these institutions have no interest on helping, guiding, whatsoever providing you a solution, regarding your complaints on their behaviours or proceedings.