Energy infrastructure of the past, like oil refineries and rigs, aren’t typically considered to be beautiful. But as the world transitions towards renewable energy, what if utilities could double as artinstallations? That’s the dream pursued by the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), which holds a design competition every two years to present visions for energy-generating artworks able to power hundreds of homes. 2016’s winners included ethereal sailboats that harvested wind for power and fogfor water, and a whale-inspired design that generates wind, solar, and wave energy. LAGI just announced the location for their 2018 competition: Melbourne, Australia.

LAGI is being sponsored by the State of Victoria to bring their 2018 contest to Melbourne, a city which hopes to be net zero by 2020. Artists, scientists, engineers, designers, and other creatives from around the world will be invited to submit designs tailored to the area for large-scale installations that add to the beauty of the area while generating clean energy.

One goal for these designs is to show how renewable energy installations, like solar and wind, can be integrated into the nature and culture of a region.

LAGI2018 is part of Victoria’s Renewable Energy Action Plan under Action 13, which calls for “supporting important artistic and cultural sustainability events.”

2016’s top three winners included teams from Japan, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. The last four competitions – Dubai/Abu Dhabi in 2010, New York City in 2012, Copenhagen in 2014, and Santa Monica in 2016 – garnered over 800 submissions from more than 60 countries.

The competition will launch in around six months, in January 2018, with submissions due in May. Public exhibitions will introduce some of the ideas to the people of Melbourne and nearby cities. According to LAGI, “2018 will be a year to celebrate the beauty of our sustainable future!”

Article from inhabitat.com

by Lacy Cooke