Saype’s Monumental New Land Art Looks Toward the Future of Sustainable Energy Production

Art

#alternative energy
#land art
#public art
#Saype
#solar power

Saype’s Monumental New Land Art Looks Toward the Future of Sustainable Energy Production

March 17, 2023

Grace Ebert

All images © Saype, shared with permission

One of the largest solar energy plants in the scorching deserts of Ibri is also the site of burgeoning childhood curiosity thanks to the French-Swiss artist known as Saype (previously). A commission from the Swiss Embassy in Oman to celebrate the countries’ 50-year partnership, the massive piece of land art spreads across 11,250 square meters of sand. Created with eco-friendly paint in shades of gray, the public work titled “Towards Good Ideas?” depicts a child kneeling at a lightbulb, connecting two switches to rows of solar panels.

Best viewed aerially, the piece took about one year of planning and five days to execute. Saype shares that given the increasingly urgent calls to divest in fossil fuels and find alternatives, he wanted to highlight one area offering a potential solution. He said:

Energy management is certainly one of the major challenges of our overaccelerating world…Being aware that the solution centers around a complex energy mix and in a form of sobriety, I chose to paint this child playing with the magic of solar energy. Looking towards the horizon, he symbolizes the renewal of a civilization that must now reinvent itself without destroying the planet.

At the end of March, Saype will show some of his smaller works with Magda Danysz Gallery at Art Paris. Find more of his monumental projects on his site and Instagram. (via Street Art News)

#alternative energy
#land art
#public art
#Saype
#solar power

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more. Join now!