Ignorance is Bliss

AKCKT-0001

Aimed at promoting a circular economy, Ignorance is Bliss explores how industrial metal waste can be turned into powdered dyes, which can be used to colour porcelain tableware and ceramic tiles. Agne Kucerenkaite gathered raw materials from industrial facilities, including a soil remediation company, a water purification and treatment plant called Aquaminerals. She also sourced some from an area in South Holland that has been polluted by a zinc factory. The metal waste comes in the form of "sludge", containing a mixture of mainly iron, as well as manganese, aluminium, magnesium, barium and zinc, depending on the location of the factory. Instead of using metal oxides, which are usually prepared industrially, Kucerenkaite uses these pigments to create her spectrum of ceramic glazes. Different metals also colour the glaze differently, for example, iron produces reds, browns, and blacks, while cobalt results in blues, and copper creates green hues.