Implosion
Implosion
What if a coffee cup could reveal global supply chains, colonial histories, environmental politics, and the limits of what you think you know?
What is it?
What is it?
The Implosion Project is a method for unpacking the ordinary by treating everyday objects as dense sites of entangled histories, power relations, and situated knowledge. Developed by Joseph Dumit (inspired by Donna Haraway), it asks not just what something is, but what worlds are inside it and how you're already part of them.
It's not about simplification. It's about staying with complexity, and learning to speculate from within.
Why Implosion?
Why Implosion?
We use the implosion method to slow down our assumptions and make visible the complex, often invisible systems embedded in everyday things. Rather than starting with big concepts or abstract futures, implosion begins with the ordinary. It treats objects as entry points into histories, politics, labor, and knowledge. It’s a way to trace how we are already entangled in the world we seek to change, and to ground speculative or critical work in specificity, context, and accountability.
Dimensions of Explosion
Dimensions of Explosion
Labour
How was it produced and who is involved in its production? Are there stages in its production? Where has it traveled to and from? What are the histories of its productions? Who maintains these processes of production? Where are they maintained? How is it used and how is using it seen as labor, or not? What forms of labor and work incorporate it or make use of it? Is it used up? If not, how is it passed on, transferred, communicated? What routes do these processes take? What kinds of actors(human and nonhuman) are involved, and what kinds are excluded?
How was it produced and who is involved in its production? Are there stages in its production? Where has it traveled to and from? What are the histories of its productions? Who maintains these processes of production? Where are they maintained? How is it used and how is using it seen as labor, or not? What forms of labor and work incorporate it or make use of it? Is it used up? If not, how is it passed on, transferred, communicated? What routes do these processes take? What kinds of actors(human and nonhuman) are involved, and what kinds are excluded?
Professional/Epistemological
How is knowledge of the process and its production demarcated and professionalized? What kinds of knowledge count in talking about it? What kind of professionals are involved in making expert decisions regarding its development, production, and dissemination? How are each of these stages funded? In projecting its future use? What kinds of controversies of this knowledge are happening? Who is involved? In what kinds of institutions do they work? How is it articulated by medical, legal, governmental, religious, psychological, engineering, military, economic, academic, new age, and educational professionals? What are the political-economic histories of this?
How is knowledge of the process and its production demarcated and professionalized? What kinds of knowledge count in talking about it? What kind of professionals are involved in making expert decisions regarding its development, production, and dissemination? How are each of these stages funded? In projecting its future use? What kinds of controversies of this knowledge are happening? Who is involved? In what kinds of institutions do they work? How is it articulated by medical, legal, governmental, religious, psychological, engineering, military, economic, academic, new age, and educational professionals? What are the political-economic histories of this?
Political
What kinds of local, national, and international bodies claim jurisdiction over it? What bodies play a part in approving it(e.g., lobbyists, patents, corporate sponsorship, etc.)? What are the histories of regulations concerning it? How do these regulations help constitute it? How is it understood in terms of political positions in the world? How can we articulate the ways it is understood with political discourses? How is it hegemonic in what ways can we see it as marshaling our consent to dominant orders? What kinds of legislation affect it? How do political considerations make use of it? What are the political positions as seen through the lens of this artefact (they often vary by artefact and moment)? How does this matter?
What kinds of local, national, and international bodies claim jurisdiction over it? What bodies play a part in approving it(e.g., lobbyists, patents, corporate sponsorship, etc.)? What are the histories of regulations concerning it? How do these regulations help constitute it? How is it understood in terms of political positions in the world? How can we articulate the ways it is understood with political discourses? How is it hegemonic in what ways can we see it as marshaling our consent to dominant orders? What kinds of legislation affect it? How do political considerations make use of it? What are the political positions as seen through the lens of this artefact (they often vary by artefact and moment)? How does this matter?
Technological
What kinds of technologies and machines enable it to be produced and maintained? What technologies are joined with it? Who has access to these machines and technologies? What are their histories? What sorts of information technologies are involved? What are the political, economic, bodily, labor, and historical dimensions of these technologies? How do they help constitute it?
What kinds of technologies and machines enable it to be produced and maintained? What technologies are joined with it? Who has access to these machines and technologies? What are their histories? What sorts of information technologies are involved? What are the political, economic, bodily, labor, and historical dimensions of these technologies? How do they help constitute it?
Context and situatedness
Where does it appear in the world? How does it appear and next to what or in what? What activities or ways of life enable one to come across it? What kinds of audiences is it addressed to? Who is excluded in these addresses? When can it appear? What is the rhythm of its appearance? How does this matter?
Where does it appear in the world? How does it appear and next to what or in what? What activities or ways of life enable one to come across it? What kinds of audiences is it addressed to? Who is excluded in these addresses? When can it appear? What is the rhythm of its appearance? How does this matter?
Material
What materials are involved in its production and maintenance? Where have these materials come from? How are they disposed of? What hazards are considered among these materials? What are the labor dimensions of these material productions? What are the global, economic, and political dimensions of their use? What are the histories, sciences, and political dimensions of these materials? How do these help constitute it?
What materials are involved in its production and maintenance? Where have these materials come from? How are they disposed of? What hazards are considered among these materials? What are the labor dimensions of these material productions? What are the global, economic, and political dimensions of their use? What are the histories, sciences, and political dimensions of these materials? How do these help constitute it?
Economic
The process as commodity: how is it marketed, purchased, consumed? Where and by whom? How is it involved in a world marketplace? What kinds of capital, debt, credit, and labor relations are involved in producing, marketing, and circulating it? Who sells it? How are costs calculated? How are risks calculated? By whom and when? What are the histories and materialities of those relations? Who is involved at each stage and how are differences in power situated? How do these help constitute it?
The process as commodity: how is it marketed, purchased, consumed? Where and by whom? How is it involved in a world marketplace? What kinds of capital, debt, credit, and labor relations are involved in producing, marketing, and circulating it? Who sells it? How are costs calculated? How are risks calculated? By whom and when? What are the histories and materialities of those relations? Who is involved at each stage and how are differences in power situated? How do these help constitute it?
Bodily/organic
How are bodies related to it? What forms of attention, affect, emotion, and cognition are involved? Are there particular ways in which we think of ourselves that also involve or sustain this process? What kinds of bodies, including nonhumans, and bodily relations are involved in producing it? What kinds make use of it? How are these bodies and relations gendered? Are there racial, gendered, differently abled, or other group identifications that help construct these bodies? What ways of life are involved? What are the histories of all these relations? How do these help constitute it?
How are bodies related to it? What forms of attention, affect, emotion, and cognition are involved? Are there particular ways in which we think of ourselves that also involve or sustain this process? What kinds of bodies, including nonhumans, and bodily relations are involved in producing it? What kinds make use of it? How are these bodies and relations gendered? Are there racial, gendered, differently abled, or other group identifications that help construct these bodies? What ways of life are involved? What are the histories of all these relations? How do these help constitute it?
Mythological
What roles does it play in fantasies? What kinds of national narratives make use of it? How does it appear in entertainment? What other grand narratives, stories, and strong associations involve it (e.g., progress, risk, joy, fear, science, militarism, success, decline, horror, self-improvement, financial security, nuclear family, motherhood, fatherhood, independence, adolescence, democracy, origin stories, stories of difference, privilege, death, pornography, sports)? How do these matter?
What roles does it play in fantasies? What kinds of national narratives make use of it? How does it appear in entertainment? What other grand narratives, stories, and strong associations involve it (e.g., progress, risk, joy, fear, science, militarism, success, decline, horror, self-improvement, financial security, nuclear family, motherhood, fatherhood, independence, adolescence, democracy, origin stories, stories of difference, privilege, death, pornography, sports)? How do these matter?
Historical
What concepts refer to it? What are the histories of these concepts? Was it invented, when and by whom? Are there different and competing versions of its histories? Who tells these histories? How has it traveled historically? Repeat the above dimensions for each aspect of its history. How do these help constitute it?
What concepts refer to it? What are the histories of these concepts? Was it invented, when and by whom? Are there different and competing versions of its histories? Who tells these histories? How has it traveled historically? Repeat the above dimensions for each aspect of its history. How do these help constitute it?
Particle
How can the process be divided up? What are its parts? What are its stages? Treating each part or stage as a process, repeat the above analysis.
How can the process be divided up? What are its parts? What are its stages? Treating each part or stage as a process, repeat the above analysis.
Educational
How does it appear in our socialisation? When do we learn about it in school? During the rest of life? What kinds of people/bodies get to learn about it? How much do we learn about it? What aspects of it are avoided? What are the histories of teaching about it? How does this matter?
How does it appear in our socialisation? When do we learn about it in school? During the rest of life? What kinds of people/bodies get to learn about it? How much do we learn about it? What aspects of it are avoided? What are the histories of teaching about it? How does this matter?
Symbolic
What are the many different ways in which it can be taken as a symbol? How does this process serve in symbolic systems?What sorts of ideas, metaphors, movements, ideologies, and the like are associated with it? For whom are these relevant, to whom do they matter, and what contests over meaning are they involved in? What are the histories of these meanings and contests over meaning? How do they matter?
What are the many different ways in which it can be taken as a symbol? How does this process serve in symbolic systems?What sorts of ideas, metaphors, movements, ideologies, and the like are associated with it? For whom are these relevant, to whom do they matter, and what contests over meaning are they involved in? What are the histories of these meanings and contests over meaning? How do they matter?
Educational
How does it appear in our socialisation? When do we learn about it in school? During the rest of life? What kinds of people/bodies get to learn about it? How much do we learn about it? What aspects of it are avoided? What are the histories of teaching about it? How does this matter?
Textual
What texts are involved in it? What texts refer to it? What kinds of texts? Who produces them and who reads them? Where and in what organisations and institutions are the texts produced and read?What are the histories of these texts and how are they funded? What kinds of textual associations can be made? How does this matter?
What texts are involved in it? What texts refer to it? What kinds of texts? Who produces them and who reads them? Where and in what organisations and institutions are the texts produced and read?What are the histories of these texts and how are they funded? What kinds of textual associations can be made? How does this matter?
The Four Twists
The knowledge map
Start by mapping what you already know (or think you know) about the object or process. This is your "brain dump"—a reflection of your existing narratives, associations, and mental models. It reveals what you’ve been taught to notice and value
The knowledge map
Start by mapping what you already know (or think you know) about the object or process. This is your "brain dump"—a reflection of your existing narratives, associations, and mental models. It reveals what you’ve been taught to notice and value
The gap map > Ignorance map
Next, map what you don’t know what feels vague, assumed, or completely unfamiliar. This isn’t a flaw; it’s a diagnostic. Your ignorance points to the structures of education, media, and experience that shape what you’ve never been asked to consider.
The gap map > Ignorance map
Next, map what you don’t know what feels vague, assumed, or completely unfamiliar. This isn’t a flaw; it’s a diagnostic. Your ignorance points to the structures of education, media, and experience that shape what you’ve never been asked to consider.
Archives, experts, and counter-memory
Now research. Where could you go to fill the gaps? What institutions, archives, or communities hold knowledge about the object and which ones have been excluded? This step reveals the politics of knowledge and the infrastructures of visibility.
Archives, experts, and counter-memory
Now research. Where could you go to fill the gaps? What institutions, archives, or communities hold knowledge about the object and which ones have been excluded? This step reveals the politics of knowledge and the infrastructures of visibility.
Exhaustion
By now, the complexity may feel overwhelming. That’s part of the method. Instead of simplifying, reflect on your own position: Why do you know what you know? Why don’t you know what you don’t? This twist helps surface the limits of perspective, and the partiality of all analysis.
Exhaustion
By now, the complexity may feel overwhelming. That’s part of the method. Instead of simplifying, reflect on your own position: Why do you know what you know? Why don’t you know what you don’t? This twist helps surface the limits of perspective, and the partiality of all analysis.
Further reading
HOW TO CONDUCT AN ETHNOGRAPHY?
HOW TO CONDUCT AN ETHNOGRAPHY?
HOW TO CONDUCT AN ETHNOGRAPHY?
Have experience with this method?
Have experience with this method?
We welcome contributions from practitioners, researchers, and educators who’ve worked with this method in practice. Help expand our collective knowledge by sharing your perspective.
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