Who could have predicted this? Environmentally friendly and sustainable energy components are the way of the future, and by the looks of it, the newest inspiration for a number of art pieces. Constructed atop a sun-drenched hill, Gorbet Design’s Solar Collector sweeps the skyline as a gracefully ascending corona of light-laced beams. The interactive installation serves as a conduit for both solar energy and creative input, soaking up sunlight and simple web-based controls throughout the day. Upon nightfall the installation synthesizes its stored reserves into a glimmering light show. Situated at the Waterloo Regional Operations Centre, the installation is composed of 12 illuminated shafts arranged in a graceful curve. The angles of each shaft reflect the angles of the sun throughout the year, with the tallest perpendicular to the sun during Winter solstice, and the lowest aligning with the Summer solstice.
During the day a set of solar panels provide the sculpture with energy, while the Solar Collector’s website stores interactive input for the evening’s performance: “Using simple web-based controls, members of the community compose wave-based patterns that flow across pulsing lights that are spaced along the shafts. At dusk, Solar Collector comes to life with the patterns created that day.” As graceful as the shape is, it also resembles more rigid forms such as the sharp quills of a porcupine, or skeleton of massive winged-machine. Get used to it, solar sculptures are becoming the flavor of the month, but do they really promote sustainable energy? Is this simple an attempt to green wash?
