Algae Evaporation

Does the ceramicist pose a potential threat to our oxygen resources?

Much clay used for ceramics is extracted from aquatic environments, where clay and diatoms, a type of algae with a silicious skeleton, is a part of an critical ecosystem. Diatoms are responsible for 20-40 % of our breathable oxygen and play a vital role in maintaining biochemical and planetary circulation systems, but as they die, their silicon skeleton turn into clay components, which is later used to create new diatoms. But what happens when clay and water is extracted from such a delicate ecosystem? Is the process of making ceramics responsible for a part of the death or even possible birth of important organisms? With the use of waste materials, the project throws a critical glance at the role of the ceramicist in this concern and invites to a discussion and further investigations on the invisible evaporation of algae.

'Algae Evaporation' is a part of the group show 'Planetary Boundaries' organized by The Royal Danish Academy and is on show at the department at Holmen from September 2023 to Appril 2024.