Find more info at: www.springsnow.nl
or enjoy the Amsterdam Elm Walk (press on fat link)
Auteur: Ap Verheggen
Reuters
Camouflaged Sculptures and Events
During this trip I asked myself: How many creatures are never discovered because we can’t see them? This is my inspiration, to make a series of sculptures that are camouflaged in our urban settings- spectacular huge sculptures that crawl on the walls, hiding, but also waiting to be discovered. The animals also have human features that signal that we ourselves are also part of nature and part of the delicate balance in our environment. I intend to have an exhibit later this year of these Urban Chameleons. There will be updates on the location when the remaining sculptures are finished.
Also, SunGlacier project developments are taking place, but the entire story is just a bit too premature to publish at this moment. It’s actually an exciting time and we plan to announce some interesting news soon. Keep looking closely, because the project has potential to shift shortly into the next gear.
Urban Chameleons under construction |
Visiting Christo
Trying to Think in Extremes
Here in the Netherlands, we are still a long way from the Middle East desert in terms of climate and distance, but this week has seen some record high temperatures. The first week of March normally averages a high of 7 Celsius, or about 46 F, but reports last Tuesday of up to 17 C made it the warmest Dutch March 5th on record.
Mother Nature’s mood swings are getting wilder, and the forecast next week calls for very low “high” temperatures down to 0 C and snow. With weather norms slipping out the window, it’s becoming more difficult to predict exactly what kind of climate we’ll be living in even in the relatively near future.
A Week in a Suit
It was an honor to meet Ghunaim S. Alghunaim and Thani S. Al Anizi from Saudi Arabia during meetings and presentations this week to demonstrate more about project SunGlacier. I realized that if you actually live in a country covered with deserts, it is even harder to believe in making a glacier in that landscape – to believe in the impossible – especially if you experience the world’s most extreme conditions around you on a daily basis. They know how it feels when the wind is blowing with temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius. (122F)
photo by Jerzy Frigge
A couple of years ago I travaled through some deserts in the United Arab Emirates and noticed that there was a sort of similarity with my expeditions through the Arctic: A hostile environment for humans, so quiet that you hear your own heart beat above the song of the wind. It’s nearly impossible for me to imagine how cultures adapted and survived in these conditions in ancient times. Fascinating!
Water-related issues and training people how to manage water is the main subject of UNESCO-IHE. This week I also met with András Szöllösi-Nagy, rector of the institute and Governor of the World Water Council. A meeting between an artist and somebody with the position of András often results in a hurricane of energy and new ideas how to stretch borders on a creative way. It means a lot to me to get support from a good friend.
Feeding Solar Ideas
This is needed because there remains a large gap in the present capabilities of solar technology and its ability to deliver widely-used practical applications that can meet larger portions of the world’s energy needs. And in order to keep moving solar power forward as a practical energy source, we need creative solutions to overcome barriers that keep this resource out of the hands of larger percentages of energy users.
Take for instance, a very basic approach that is not so much evolving solar technology itself, but adapting how we use energy that is now available. Changes in appliance technology (such as lighting, heating and cooling) to work on a non-constant energy supply can bring us a step closer. Reliance on traditional battery technology will become outdated as it is wasteful in comparison to other options, and energy is lost.
One of several bright spots at the trade fair discussions was how technology for “energy islands” is becoming more of a reality. Energy islands are completely self-supporting facilities that are not connected to existing energy networks. They are able to produce electricity on demand to meet needs of public and private installations such as hospitals, farms and family homes. Developments like this can give everyone more food for thought.
Your “bright” ideas? Readers are invited in the comment section to leave any related information, opinions, links or just plain wild ideas that could inspire others to think and work creatively on solar technology. After all, solar power is at the heart of SunGlacier, and a major aim of our project is to inspire thoughts, discussions and collaborations that can lead to tangible solutions in adapting to our changing environment.
SunGlacier presentation at TU Eindhoven
In Dutch Newspaper Trouw
Today in Trouw Newspaper an article about SunGlacier
SunGlacier videoclip is finalist in Focus Forward
The SunGlacier videoclip is awarded as a finalist in the Focus Forward 3mts. video contest. Short Films – Big Ideas. A perfect medium to show SunGlacier to the world, and honoured for this recognition.
SunGlacier on Crossing Border Festival, The Hague
SunGlacier in the next dimension
For the first time we are in discussion with a serious partner who is interested in the complete realisation of the SunGlacier Art Project. Therefore our highly motivated team is now working on the transfer of our technical testing data into a scientific report and defining the technical borders of our prototype ( scale 1:5 ) Next to that we designed a system that uses the not constant input of solar generated energy into a system that follows the sun as closely as possible. This may indeed prove to be a unique feature of engineering. ( see chapter prototype below )
Prototype
– to demonstrate to prospective partners that the SunGlacier proposition of linking sun to ice is indeed feasible, both artistically and technically and also
– to create a firm basis for the engineering of the full scale model that would recognize and meet the prevailing challenges.
– to maximize the use of the energy beamed in by the sun at any given time of the day and convert that along this string of elements in the most efficient manner to ”cold” at the workface.
New surface designs
Wind is our friend (making water) as well as our enemy (melting ice). Therefore natural solutions are copied from caves and deserts to create an ideal surface for both conditions.
Photo 1:
inspirated by stalactites that are shaped by millions of years equal wind direction.
Photo 2:
inspired by a satellite picture of the Namib desert. All sand dunes have a windy and a calm side.
Discovery Channel
World’s First Icycle produced in extreme desert conditions
Artist Impression of SunGlacier’s first Icycle Climber
World Water Forum 6 in Marseille, France
As a Cultural Ambassador of UNESCO-IHE I was invited to WWF6 in France, to present project SunGlacier. Dr. Andras Szoelloesi Nagy, rector of UNESCO-IHE introduced the project in such a way that the audience was completely enthusiastic even before my presentation really started. Art is the perfect tool to give food to interesting discussions! The day before I was part of a panel to discuss Effective Public Awareness Raising Networks. A great initiative of Alida Pham. A week full of highlights and introductions.
Former James Bond girl Famke Janssen made her introduction as an ambassador for the Green Cross organisation. Afterwards we had a good chat together. I am a great fan of her brilliant role in many movies.
Last but not least I wish to thank Jaap Feil and NWP, a great intitiative of the Dutch watersector, for their support at all events.