What can a coffee cup tell us about air pollution, raw materials, and social inequality? Ceramics are among the most durable materials we have: as long as they don’t break, they can last for thousands of years. At the same time, their production is far from sustainable. The firing process emits significant amounts of CO₂, and certain raw materials and glazes can be harmful to both people and the environment, or are becoming increasingly scarce. The Rotterdam-based design studio Lab AIR explores how the craft of ceramics can be used as a medium for conversations about major societal challenges.

Designer Iris de Kievith works towards a livable climate. She uses the power of imagination to make complex issues more understandable and to offer practical tools for a healthy and fair future. She does this, among other things, through the design and research studio Lab AIR, which she founded together with Annemarie Piscaer. Within Lab AIR, the often hidden impact of our everyday actions is unravelled and made visible through objects and installations. With a focus on awareness and change, the public is actively involved in both the making process and the conversations it sparks.