How Can Craft Artists Transform the Institution of Waste? Craft in the Anthropocene

Abstract

The Anthropocene is an age defined by the unprecedented impact of human activity on the earth's systems. One of the most harmful activities is wasting, that is, creating waste. Traditionally, we have sought methods to dispose of waste, such as incinerating or landfilling. In 2032 BOFA, Bornholm’s waste management company, aims at becoming “waste-free”. But what does it mean to be waste- free? Is reuse and recycling enough, or do we need to reduce the amount of waste? Showing that our contemporary notion of waste is contingent, the investigation free us to think otherwise about waste.

BOFA believes that local players will have to play an essential role in achieving their vision. This thesis takes the vision seriously. By exploring the ecosystem of craft artists on Bornholm through qualitative research, as well as incorporating theories on art and craft, the investigation reaches the insights that craft can teach us valuable lessons that can help shape and re-organize society at large, which is why it should be appreciated and preserved. For instance, craft artists dwell in mistakes, but knows how to move forward. They control an ability to risk losing control that allows for the creation of new imaginaries. At the same time, their comprehension of objects and understanding of materials can repair old realities (and broken things). Additionally, the craft artists produce social and cultural value that benefits the community. However, the argument is also made that craft artists have a serious responsibility when it comes to creating artworks – a challenge posed to craft artists by the problem of waste in the Anthropocene. The thesis at hand is a philosophical attempt to provide agency. It assumes that craftmaking can play an essential role in changing the way we perceive waste, not necessarily in the sense of returning to a more romantic state of “being one with nature”, but in the sense of perhaps acknowledging the limits to growth and with this recognition in mind still try to move forward.

By creating a space for thinking otherwise, the thesis reaches an understanding of waste-free that requires thinking of the human being as a flexible organism in a larger system, thus adhering to a nature-culture continuum. It offers an answer to the question of what the role of craft is in the Anthropocene through investigating craftmanship in relation to the problem of waste. Therefore, it simultaneously questions the role of a waste management company in the Anthropocene.