55494 Christina Osborne
55494
Creative reuse or upcycling is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products. These are often perceived to be of greater quality, artistic value or environmental value than the new item.
When eBay was launched in the German market, it failed to take off. The Germans neither understood nor trusted the auction format. To make the product palatable, eBay Kleinanzeigen (eBay Classifieds) was created.
We unashamedly put our towels on Germany at the end of 2020, gaining residence before Brexit. We lived in the rural town of Rhinboellen, just twelve twelve-minute drive from the picturesque towns and vineyards of the Rhein Valley.
In today’s highly consumerist society, we are all defined by our waste. I became struck by the idea of describing my new home and surroundings by upcycling advertisements from “Kleinanzeigen”. I would scroll through the latest additions at the end of every week. 55494 was our postal code.
“55494” the book is my view of small-town life in rural Germany.
Christina