Context:
The product of my thesis (the sculpture) straddles both the art world and the scientific world and is motivated by sustainability. At the moment, there is a growing group of artists creating works in the name of sustainability and collectively they fall into a number of popular terms used to define them: Eco Artists, Green Artists, Environmental Artists. With their work they express their concerns for the environment through green themes, materials, techniques and site specific locations.
A philosophy that I found useful to help me gain insight and give me direction is as follows:
Sustainable design is a design philosophy that seeks to maximize the quality of the built environment, while minimizing or eliminating negative impact to the natural environment.
~McLennan, J. F. (2004), The Philosophy of Sustainable Design
Even with a clear definition of sustainable design I have still found it a challenge to be true to my own creative visions all the while being mindful of a larger philosophy that I aim to live by. There are so many considerations when trying to create in a sustainable way. Materials themselves can have a profound impact on the sustainability of a design. Many of the manufacturing processes and construction materials are tragically bad for the environment and including them in any design could negate any ambitions of being green. Use of green technologies can bolster the efficiency of a design or prove it to be not viable. What good is solar if you have no sun?
Many artists have found their own philosophies and standards that they live and produce by with varying success. And who is to judge how successful a work is? That in it and of itself is a hard question to tackle.
In my research I have found that my interests is sustainable design fall more in line with the ideas and concepts of architects. It seems to me that when architects design with sustainability in mind they have a more holistic approach. For example, a sculpture often reaches it’s full utility once it is installed. In other words, when it is in its place it’s work is done. Not to say that a work of art does not serve an aesthetic function. But when an architect works through a design there are many variables to consider because it has so many roles to play with its inhabitants and its surroundings. That said, when I am working on a sustainable sculpture/design, I want to take many of these same variables into consideration. Specifically, utility, materials, and aesthetic integration.
GreenPix Zero Energy Media Wall, Beijing
GreenPix Zero Energy Media Wall, Beijing
Built near near the site of the 2008 Olympic Games, this curtain media wall used sustainable and digital media technologies to create one of the worlds largest color LED displays. Using photovoltaic cells that are embedded into the glass panels, the wall is a self-sufficient system that harvests solar energy during the day and uses it at night for video installations and performances. What I appreciate about this project is the full integration of utility (building facade), materials (photovoltaics), and aesthetic integration (LED display).
GreenPix Zero Energy Media Wall, Beijing. Workers installing glass panels with solar cells.
From press release: The full integration of media/information technology with architecture in an urban context represents a new kind of communication surface devoted to unprecedented forms of art, while projecting information about the behavior and activity of the building to a wide range of distances and engaging a vast audience within the city of Beijing. The innovative use of technology and experimental approach to communication and social interaction defines new standards in the context of urban interventions worldwide, raising global interest in the integration of digital technology with architecture and reinforcing the reputation of Beijing as a centre for innovation and urban renewal.
Santiago Calatrava
World renowned architect and civil engineer, Santiago Calatrava is also a prolific sculptor and painter who claims that the practice of architecture combines all the arts into one. I could not agree with this man more! On March 2006, The Metropolitain Museum of Art in New York City hosted an exhibition of Calatrava’s sculptures, architectural models, paintings, and drawings.
Calatrava sculpture
From the MET: Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum, stated: “It is a rare delight to present the work of such an accomplished architect and artist. This exhibition takes an intimate look at Santiago Calatrava’s inventive practices, and uncovers the connections between the private artist and the public architect as he meditates over forms, themes, and construction.”
Recently, Calatrava made his push into the world of sustainability with the unveiling of his latest work: the “Museum of Tomorrow” planned for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The sustainability focused museum is part of the city’s preparation for the 2016 Olympic games and is part of a larger urban revitalization project launched by the city. I only recently learned of Calatrava’s sustainability driven projects but would not be surprised to learn that he had been working with sustainability in mind for some time. I am incredibly interested in how he will apply sustainability to his sculptures in the future.
Santiago Calatrava "Museum of Tomorrow". Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Work plan to come …
Works cited:
McLennan, Jason F. The Philosophy of Sustainabile Design. Kansas City, Missouri: Ecotone, 2004.
“Santiago Calatrava: Sculpture into Architecture”. Metropolitain Museum of Art.com. Oct. 18, 2005 <http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={4793218B-1806-4EA5-AA76-1998B13CF2D1}>
Chino, Mike. “Santiago Calatrava Unveils Green “Museum of Tomorrow for Rio”. Inhabitat.com. June 22, 2010. <http://inhabitat.com/santiago-calatrava-unveils-green-museum-of-tomorrow-in-rio/>