UN-MINING

Lab Air addresses aerial issues and explores the systematic impacts of our daily choices. Questions such as "Where does material come from?" and "How far did it travel?" are central to this exploration, along with considerations of air-pollution emissions.

The workshop "Un-mining" is premised on understanding material traces and speculating on the mining of raw materials and their ownership. This hands-on, research-based workshop focuses on the raw materials used in porcelain production—specifically Kaolin, Quartz, and Feldspar. These materials, primarily Kaolin, are still mined in quarries near Schloss Hubertusburg by Amberger Kaolinwerke. How does this mining occur? Participants will delve into the origins of these raw materials, tracing their journey across time, location, and scale.

The workshop also invites participants to explore the rich history of porcelain. Originally from China, the first European porcelain was invented by Böttger in the early 18th century at the behest of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, King of Poland, and founder of the Meissen porcelain factory, who had an obsession with this "white gold."

Currently, mining leaves significant scars in the landscape, creating large empty pits both locally and globally. As Kaolin is a scarce material, this raises critical questions about our management of planetary resource exhaustion. Are there future alternatives? To whom or what does this scarce material belong? Can we heal these wounds in the landscape? Can we literally "un-mine"?

The workshop is ideal for current design students, recent graduates looking to enhance their material and mapping design skills, and those preparing for Master's-level study. It also welcomes professionals in the material-research field who wish to deepen their research through artistic and speculative approaches.