ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how the auto-destructive works demonstrate two points, namely the destructive and creative transformative practices of technological materiality, and the ethics of technology's impact on the environment. It attempts to see how art theory and the artistic practice of auto-destructive art might contribute to the discussion on media ecology's material, physical consequences on the environment. The chapter discusses and expands on Ranciere's notion in relation to other artistic practices than photography. Metzger is a central figure in the history of British avant-garde art, but has largely remained unknown to the broader public before a quite recent revival on the contemporary art scene that led to his inclusion in exhibitions at several prestigious, international art venues. The auto-destructive works all implicate an ethics of mediality, in their dealing with and thematizing technological apparatuses that have serious environmental impact. The realization is not evident in Ranciere's account, which refers exclusively to the photographic apparatus.
