The Melbourne-based collective Cone 11 showcase sustainable ceramic artistry in Gather, a collection of sculptural works made exclusively from non-recycled studio waste and fired in solar-power electric kilns. Aiming to demonstrate sustainable high-temperature firing practices, the ethos of Cone 11 gives a glimpse into a “no waste” future for artists and audiences.
In keeping with this ideology, the exhibition was opened and supported by Joost Bakker, who was described by the New York Times as the “poster boy of zero-waste living.”
Ilona Topolcsanyi, Gather Outside, 2022, broken ceramics
The collective reveals, “Ceramics cannot rust, corrode under normal circumstances or be easily melted down like scrap metal. The unique chemical properties that make ceramics long-lasting and useful also make it difficult and expensive to recycle. As a specialised tableware studio, Cone 11 consistently has a small percentage of pieces that are damaged in the many stages of production. This exhibition makes use of these resources as well as other studio waste products. Harnessing the pyroclastic nature of clay fired at high temperatures, using solar-powered electric kilns, these ceramic sculptural works will be made solely from postproduction, non-recycle ceramics studio waste, keeping products and materials in use that would have previously been single-use, non-recycle material.”
Abbotsford Convent
31 August to 17 September 2023
Melbourne
