MACHINE YEARNING

THE ACCIDENTAL BEAUTY OF THE TECH REVOLUTION

- ALASTAIR PHILIP WIPER

In his new book, Unintended Beauty, the British photographer Alastair Philip Wiper captures the “accidental aesthetics” of the technological revolution near his base in Copenhagen and across the world, finding artistry in research facilities, industrial sites – and the robotics of a sex doll.

MAERSK TRIPLE E CONTAINER SHIP UNDER CONSTRUCTION, DAEWOO SHIPBUILDING & MARINE ENGINEERING (DSME), SOUTH KOREA

When it was built, the Maersk Triple E was the largest container ship in the world, with a capacity of 18 000 containers: enough space to transport 864 million bananas. Twelve of these ships were in different stages of construction when I visited the DSME shipyard, where 46 000 people are building about 100 vessels and oil rigs at any time. It could reasonably be described as the world’s biggest Legoland: the ships are built in sections called mega blocks, which are then lifted into place with cranes and welded together.