Once in a while I come across a story or idea that surprises me with its simplicity and potential that I not only grin, but become a little ashamed when I realize what an impact a simple idea could have.
A gentleman in Seattle (I hope I don't embarrass him by calling him a gentleman) is instituting The First International Solar Sculpture Challenge 2008. There are rules stipulated in the challenge:
1 There shall be no batteries in the structure. All the solar should be direct use.
2. I think the sculpture should be bigger than a breadbox
3. The art installation should remain in one place. (I can envision it moving around but I think it should not be a vehicle or that moves more than 10 feet from a basic spot)
4. The sculpture must include either photovoltaic cells, solar flat panels, solar thermal evacuated tubes, or wind mechanics or all of the the above mentioned to qualify for entry.
5. The structure sculpture must be placed in the city of Seattle by the Summer Solstice 2008 (June 20th 23:59pm 2008)= June 21 2008
I suppose the reasons why this is a great idea are actually rather evident. First it creates the opportunity for educational and research institutions to create programs that would showcase their student and faculties talents. It would allow for more public installations that would raise awareness as well as create areas that could be activated or reactive as destinations. It could also put the city hosting it on the map as a concentrated nexus of art and technology. I suppose my favorite part of the whole challenge is that it is incredibly attainable and should be relatively easy to gather all the support needed (from local government, schools, businesses, artists and professional organizations) to pull this off.
So, who in Cleveland is going to put one together for here?
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