Creating new value through Energy x Art - 5 inspirational overseas art works -
Don't you think that energy and contemporary art have little to do with each other? If what art aims at is the fundamental question of human beings, it is inevitable that it will be deeply involved with the energy that is deeply involved in the fundamental desires of human beings. Mr. Satoru Higuchi of the energy diagnosis cloud service "Enegaeru" introduces examples and ideas of interesting art projects for thinking about energy.
Relationship between energy and art
In the previous article, I wrote an article on the theme of "Energy x Design". If I were to sum up the difference between "design" and "art" in one word, it would be "design is problem-solving, and art is question itself." "Anything is fine, I'll try it first. That's all," Taro Okamoto, a world-famous Japanese artist, said during his lifetime.
Therefore, this time, without asking for any particular answer, I would like to introduce five works from overseas that have struck a chord with my very personal antenna, as they are somehow beautiful and interesting to look at around the theme of decarbonization.
Five overseas cases and application ideas
STUDIO ROOSEGAARDE: Van Gogh Path/DAAN
Example 01｜Bicycle path that charges with sunlight and glows romantically at night
STUDIO ROOSEGAARDE (Nuenen/Netherlands)
URL: https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/van-gogh-path
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f68cdc27HWg
Overview
A project of STUDIO ROOSEGAARDE founder DAAN ROOSEGAARDE. "Van Gogh Path" is a futuristic bike path that combines innovation and cultural heritage created in Nuenen, the Netherlands, where Van Gogh lived in 1883. It is made up of thousands of glowing stones inspired by the "starry sky". It charges with sunlight during the day and emits light at night. It uses fluorescent paint that glows at night. "I personally think it's a great place for a 'first date' rather than from a safety or environmental standpoint," says Dern.
Inspiration from DAAN ROOSEGAARDE
It is common knowledge that Japanese power and energy-related projects are discussed in terms of economic efficiency and the environment. However, Japan also has countless historical and cultural heritages and stories. Like DAAN ROOSEGAARDE, is it possible to incorporate a romantic story such as "perfect for a first date" into a Japanese renewable energy project?
Warming stripes / Ed Hawkins
Case 02 | Visualize global warming with beautiful graphics
Warming Stripes (University of Reading/UK)
URL: https://showyourstripes.info/
Reference URL: https://twitter.com/ed_hawkins
The photo is a visualization of Japan's global warming from 1901 to 2019.
Overview
A project by climate scientist Ed Hawkins, famous for his data visualizations depicting global warming. Beautiful stripes visualize changes in annual mean temperature measured in each country over the past 100 years. It features a simple and detailed design that enables ordinary people with the minimum amount of scientific knowledge to have a dialogue about the world of global warming and the risks of climate change. The beautiful and suggestive graphic was called "a new symbol of the climate emergency" by French fashion magazine L'EDN, and spread on SNS (#ShowYourStripes) around the world, fashion, music events, and face masks for COVID-19 countermeasures. etc. is spreading.
It is also used in face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspiration from Hawkins
Statistical materials of government offices are full of letters and graphs that can not be said to be beautiful, which seriously put a huge budget and effort into it. There are many materials that are closed to some industry people and feel wasteful. Like Ed Hawkins, could it be reused as a "single beautiful visual that creates dialogue beyond scientific knowledge and literacy"?
Land Art Generator
Case 03｜Renewable energy infrastructure creation using public art
Land Art Generator (Seattle/USA)
URL: https://landartgenerator.org/
Reference URL: http://landartgenerator.org/competition2019.html
Overview
The Land Art Generator Initiative is a not-for-profit organization from Seattle that promotes large-scale public art that generates renewable energy. It was founded in 2008, shortly after the marriage of artist Elizabeth Monoian and architect Robert Ferry. The concept is "Renewable Energy Can Be Beautiful."
Utilizing the power of public art, we are promoting renewable energy infrastructure with aesthetic value that is positive for urban and rural landscapes and residents. He has hosted international design competitions and created more than 1,000 prototypes of renewable energy and public art.
Inspiration from the Land Art Generator Initiative
The dichotomy between the promotion of renewable energy through mega-solar power generation and large-scale wind power generation, and the protection of local residents and landscapes, which are often pointed out as problems in Japan. As a way to solve these problems, is it possible to promote the introduction of renewable energy facilities as part of a strategic public art scheme involving local residents, that is, as part of urban development that emphasizes aesthetic value? Is it possible to involve artists who can send out questions that transcend dichotomy?
Heartbeat of the Earth / Google Arts & Culture Lab
Case 04｜Experimental art project using climate statistics data
Heartbeat of the Earth / Google Arts & Culture Lab (San Jose/USA)
URL: Heartbeat of the Earth / Google Arts & Culture Lab
Reference video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlp5kj6BsvI
Overview
Heartbeat of the Earth is an experimental art project with the motif of "climate data" realized through collaboration between Google Arts & Culture Lab and the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). Five data artists will use climate-related data from sources such as United Nations reports and the World Meteorological Organization to create artworks on themes such as food consumption, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels. It is characterized by being a data-driven art that makes full use of a large amount of scientific climate-related data, which is typical of Google's project. You can see beautiful artwork created from data such as "Timelines", which visualizes the shocking retreat of the Rhone and Trift glaciers in Switzerland over the past 140 years.
Inspiration from the Google Arts & Culture Lab
One of the points is to experience changes and impacts on the "time axis" when dealing with social issues such as energy and the environment.
In Japan's decarbonization project as well, as a means to involve the general public and transform the "industry goto/internal goto" into the "world goto", similar to the nudge method that has been attracting attention recently, "statistical data and visualization ” will attract attention to professionals called data visualization and data artists.
Olafur Eliasson
Case 05 | An artist beyond an artist who spreads solar power lamps in off-grid areas
Olafur Eliasson (Berlin/Germany)
URL: https://www.olafureliasson.net/
Reference URL: Lose your heart to these 8 futuristic and sustainable products by IKEA
Overview
Olafur Eliasson is an Icelandic artist born in a natural environment. In the Little Sun Project, he designed a business model to create designful, inexpensive solar-powered lamps for people living in places without electricity and sell them to people in developed countries. Recognized worldwide as a surpassing artist. "Little Sun" will be further developed into a small power generator "SAMMANLANKAD" in collaboration with IKEA and will be sold at IKEA in 2021. Focusing on sub-Saharan Africa, we will work with local entrepreneurs to develop businesses, create jobs and provide sustainable energy to those in need. Established in 1995 by Eliasson in Berlin, Studio Olafur Eliasson has more than 100 diverse members, including not only engineers but also art historians and chefs. Experiments and research on materials and recycling technology are conducted daily.
Inspiration from Olafur Eliasson
Olafur Eliasson is an accomplished social entrepreneur as well as an artist.
In Japan, global companies such as Rhizomatiks and teamLab are emerging that aim to create new value by making full use of cutting-edge technology and art. I think it is possible to introduce Japan's environmental technology to the world while involving such laboratories in demonstration experiments in Japan's decarbonization field.
By the way, it seems that Olafur Eliasson's large-scale solo exhibition is currently being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. If you are interested, let's go see it once.
What is our “fundamental” mission in the energy industry?
"Convert your hatred into electricity, and the whole world will light up." These are the words of Nikola Tesla, a genius inventor. Amid the changes in social conditions caused by the novel coronavirus, great negative emotions are writhing in every aspect of society.
I believe that what is important in times like this is the “how to perceive things” like Nikola Tesla.
The fundamental mission of those of us working in the energy industry is not simply to focus on electric power and RE100 as a business. Isn't it "to change into power"?
I would like to pose such a question to all of you. I'm eating Nagoya's specialty Ogura-an with a smile at Komeda's coffee shop, thinking that I'm saying something inappropriate.
