Land Art Generator Initiative (2010)
The 2010 Land Art Generator Initiative international competition invited artists to submit designs for public art installations that combine aesthetics with clean energy. Oleg Lobykin submitted this design. Hundreds of entries were received from over 40 countries. This one was judged among the dozen most practicable.
Solaris is a sculptural art installation comprised of hundreds of photovoltaic panels arranged in the pattern of a familiar cultural ornamental. This approach combines the benefits of modern technology for producing solar energy as electricity with a visual representation of traditional images having cultural significance. Due to its size and proximity to the airport, the site offers an opportunity to showcase a design from an aerial vantage point that is quite distinctive and provides an attractive alternative to a strictly utilitarian configuration of panels in flat straight rows.
The arrangement of the solar panels in this proposal is intended to be illustrative of the concept. Airline travelers to and from Abu Dhabi would be able to view the design as they approach or depart the city by air, while visitors to the site at ground level would experience a sensation of passing along the coast of an "industrial ocean" by car from the road.
Stopping at the site, visitors would be able to walk under the "canopy" of an "industrial jungle" to the dome-shaped visitor center and observe any changes in the shape or location of the coastline that may have taken place since installation. In this way, viewers would see Solaris very differently depending upon their perspective in relation to it. The Solaris installation would generate environmental awareness using the universal language of art.