Cuprum carbonicum (Cupric carbonate), Bergblau 1928

Curator: This is Cuprum carbonicum (Cupric carbonate), Bergblau, produced by Buchner & Sohn. Editor: Wow, it's like captured sky, or maybe a genie's bottle, just incredibly vibrant! Curator: Indeed. This object raises questions about industrial manufacturing, the commodification of color, and its cultural significance within artistic and scientific practices. Editor: Thinking about the labor... who extracted the copper, refined it? Were they aware their efforts would end up as bottled beauty? Curator: These are crucial questions, prompting us to consider the often-invisible histories embedded within the materials that shape our world. Editor: It makes me wonder what other stories hide in plain sight, right? Curator: Precisely. The history and context transform our view of this bottle of pigment. Editor: I see it differently now, too. More than just a pretty color.