Two uranium glass Seltzer water bottles from Bulgaria and New Zealand, Circa 1910
2011
Blown glass, ultraviolet light, wood
35 x 35 x 145cm

 

Two uranium glass seltzer water bottles from Bulgaria and New Zealand, circa 1910 is a ready-made composed of two empty bottles of sparkling water dating from 1910 and made from blown glass. Containing a radioactive element called uranium oxide which was used mostly between 1880 and 1920 to colour glass, the bottles emanate a slight green glow which can be revealed through their exposure to ultraviolet light. Symbols of a cultural and economic history, the bottles come from Bulgaria and New Zealand - two countries located at nearly opposite longitudes - and therefore illustrating both the extent of the propagation of this uranium glass during a specific period as well as the premise of a truly worldwide economy based on exchanges and major influences.

 

 

 

 

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