The Kintsugi Upgrades project imagines an alternate future where ancient artifacts are discovered by a more advanced civilization than us who rebuild and augment them with enhanced technologies. The Japanese art of Kintsugi – which literally translates to “join with gold” – perfectly embodied the spirit of these objects. Through the process of repair and reconstruction, these objects become more valuable than the originals.

Botellones is the name for a specific type of water jug from Mexico. Building off of the delicate and lively drawing on the body of the vessel, we upgraded it with a base that integrates a canister of supplemental nutrient concentrate which can be diluted with the water in the main container. The canister can be released from its parent to allow user to pour over the supplemental liquid over their meal to boost their mineral levels at times of nutrient deficiency.