the fascination of vastite

2018
Objects, earrings, pins
Plastic trash, silver

All photos by the artist.

Vastite – a new aprecious stone, synthesized from plastic waste from the public space (so-called natural Vastite). As a memorial to our progressive influence on the planet, it fights, so to speak, with the diamond for the title of symbol for eternity. At the same time, it is supposed to create consciousness. Plastic is one of the few materials that are unique to the Earth that do not originate from outer space. This makes it something incredibly rare. The Vastite is meant to make value visible in something that is often considered the epitome of worthlessness.

The places where the natural Vastite was found are examined. Increasingly, these occurred in socially and economically worse off areas. The Vastite embodies the questions: What is the reason for this? Is it due to trivial reasons such as lack of awareness or even lower frequency of street cleaning, or is it a statement, a way of saying, “We’re still here, see us!”? Do companies maybe even intend to have empty packaging end up in public places – as free advertising? The Vastite cannot and will not provide answers but should invite wearers and viewers to find their own by expanding their field of vision

By choosing a “worthless” material, the price of these pieces calculates itself merely from the hours of work the artist put in. This aims to question how we define worth. Why is a machine-made piece of jewellery consisting of gold and diamonds worth more than something a human being with hopes and feelings put hours upon hours of work into? Why are we willing to pay more for that? Why are we collectively buying into the myth of preciousness? The price of diamonds is artificially held high – why isn’t the price of human labour? If we all decided that starting tomorrow, gold is worth the same as brick or glass, how would the world change? How would our perspective morph? What would you buy to “invest your money wisely”?

Using Format