In photo Cotisso (semi-lavorato)

Half of Murano’s glass production becomes waste, around 700 to 1000 tons each year. Murano’s artisans call it Cotisso. In a regenerative design system, it can be considered a resource. SOLVE ET COAGULA aims to start a conversation on how to make Murano production circular. Theoretically, glass can be recycled endlessly if done correctly. However, the mixture to create colours often uses toxic chemicals that change from colour to colour. For this reason, they are classified as special waste, making Cotisso very expensive to dispose of, especially for small factories.

Blown glass waste is disposed of in the same container regardless of the colour, however, due to the chemical incompatibility of the different colours compositions, this system doesn't allow its reuse. The project process suggests starting by separating glass waste by colour, chop them, and melt them again.

Holistic and systems visualization of Murano Glass

To be able to create pieces made 100% of Cotisso, the whole crucible has to be filled by it, approximately 300/450kg of glass. Without completely reshaping the production system of already establishing factories, it is possible to blend Cotisso and the regular mixture of glass. The challenge is to understand the percentage to which Cotisso can be added into production, or reshaping production systems around it.

In medieval times, the role of the Conzaor was to prepare the mixtures for the melting of the batch. Because he was the only one knowing the recipe, he was often seen as an alchemist.

Alchemists believed in the transformation from vile elements into noble ones, both physically and spiritually, through a process of dissolution and coagulation. The Alchemical motto Solve Et Coagula literally means “dissolve and coagulate". It suggests that nothing can be created before breaking something else, just like glass can be broken into pieces and remelted, in a loop that regenerates itself.