Canadian Architect
Winners of the 2012 Land Art Generator Initiative Competition Announced

Conservation Magazine
Artsy Energy Hits New York

“Last year in the Art & Science section, we featured ideas for beautiful, yet functional, renewable-energy projects designed for Abu Dhabi and Dubai in a contest sponsored by the Land Art Generator Initiative (“Powered By Art,” Spring 2012). This October, LAGI announced the winners of its second design competition: a call for renewable-energy installations for Freshkills Park (formerly Fresh Kills Landfill) on New York’s Staten Island. From hundreds of entrants, top honors went to screens that ripple in the breeze, generating wind power with interwoven piezoelectric fibers, and to a series of mounds that house wind turbines and CO2 scrubbers.”
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Land Art Generator Initiative: Aesthetic Design Solutions to Clean Energy
by Team YS

“We have all probably heard or maybe even been involved in the debate surrounding the aesthetics of clean energy. It holds particular relevance in the case of wind turbines, in which appeals for clean energy have, in case after case, been rejected because residents refuse to sacrifice their views to giant windmills. The irony of choosing the long-term destruction of the world’s natural beauty in exchange for the short-term satisfaction of the pleasure we receive from such beauty is almost Shakespearean, but it points to an important question: how do we preserve natural beauty in the long term without sacrificing it in the short term?”
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Danish Architecture Centre
RENEWABLE PUBLIC ART: THE LAND ART GENERATOR INITIATIVE

“The energy sector and art world could not be more different in design approaches, philosophies, and outcomes. However, today the opportunity exists to kindle a new relationship between art and renewable energy. The advancement of society and major cities in the last two centuries was mainly due to non-renewable energy resources, but at the expense of damaging the planets ecosystems and life forms. It is of great significance now to continuously increase public awareness and acceptance of renewable energy technologies to reverse or expand perceptions.”
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LAGI: i vincitori
by Annacaterina Piras

“Si è inaugurata lo scorso 25 ottobre l’esposizione dei progetti partecipanti alla seconda edizione del concorso internazionale su energie rinnovali e arte Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), patrocinato dal Dipartimento per i parchi della città di New York (New York City Parks & Recreation), promosso dai fondatori della associazione non profit Society for Cultural Exchange Robert Ferry e Elisabeth Monoian, per l’ideazione di un’opera di arte pubblica che produca energia da fonti rinnovabili, con scenario d’ambientazione il polmone verde di oltre 2.200 acri (più di 800 ettari, quasi tre volte Central Park) di Freshkills Park, Staten Island, restituito alla città attraverso il progetto di rinaturalizzazione ecologica dell’ex discarica più estesa del mondo.”
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Grist
99 red balloons can power 4,500 homes
by Sarah Laskow

“This wins for most charming solar concept based on a one-hit wonder from the ‘80s, and maybe most charming solar concept ever: a power generating system inspired by the song “99 Red Balloons.” (But not by the [superior] German version, “99 Luftballons,” because that doesn’t specify color.) Ninety-nine red balloons float over New York City’s Freshkills Park, once a landfill, and create energy by using “transparent organic solar cells,” according to Design Taxi. The system theoretically could power 4,500 houses.

The Canadian team that came up with this idea submitted it to the Land Art Generator Initiative Competition for Freshkills Park, a contest seeking conceptual ideas that show “Renewable energy can be beautiful.””

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American Solar Energy Society
“99 Red Balloons” all over Staten Island
by Ariel Braude

“Since 2008, Fresh Kills Park in Staten Island, New York has been declared an area for the production of clean-energy. Mayor Bloomberg said back in 2008 that this area would be a great place to produce wind energy in order to help New York become more sustainable. Building a new wind farm always takes time though so now in 2012, a contest was held as part of the Land Art Generator Initiative to find a renewable energy solution for this area. Many designers entered the contest with some extraordinary designs but the winners were chosen, and four designs were picked as the best. All the designs were unique in their own way on how they produce energy and the aesthetic features, but one that sticks out is the fourth place winner entitled “99 Red Balloons.””

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SmartPlanet
After Sandy, rebuild Staten Island with art and power
by Chris Sullivan

“Here’s a post-election political litmus test: Do you think wind generators, those massive pinwheels set on hilltops, are pretty? Say yes, and likely you’re a left-leaner, Al Gore type. Say no? You may be a Republican stalwart, maybe a Trump or Murdoch.

Or not. Maybe you’re just one of a growing number of artists and architects who think our power infrastructure lacks a certain aesthetic flair.

A few of these likeminded artsy types got together an ideas competition to dream up new ideas for land art that would also generate power in New York City. The site? The massive Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island.

In a city still without power in some places — and with much of Staten Island in need of serious rebuilding, all due to Hurricane Sandy — this is an ideas competition we really need.

Now.

Art that powers a city

And here it is: The results, unveiled last week, are fascinating and eye-popping.
Co-sponsored by the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation, the goal of the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) is to build some very big public artworks that also generate very big amounts of clean, renewable energy.”

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Landscape World Magazine
2012 LAGI NYC Competition
Landscape World 58, ISBN: 978-89-97767-05-2, Size: 22.8cm x 28cm
Language: Korean & English, Price: US $25

(c)Landscape World Magazine

Architect: The Magazine of the American Institute of Architects
Wind Sensor Proposed for New York: Two artists’ proposed wind sensor would also generate energy.
by Blaine Brownell

“The natural human curiosity about weather and other changing climatic conditions is addressed in “Scene Sensor,” a project proposed by artists James Murray and Shota Vashakmadze for Freshkills Park, New York. The winning entry to the Land Art Generator Initiative design competition, Scene Sensor is a simple open-air pavilion that harnesses wind power via a piezoelectric wire mesh that converts moving air into energy. This mesh also incorporates lighting to depict wind maps at night, and will act as a billboard that visualizes invisible natural forces.”
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The Danish Architectural Press
VEDVARENDE ENERGI, DER ER SMUK
by Tom Hermansen

Connaissance des Energies
LAGI: the art of mixing and creating energy

Inhabitat
Piezoelectric Energy-Generating “Scene Sensor” Wins the 2012 Land Art Generator Initiative Competition for Freshkills Park
by Tafline Laylin

“We’ve been closely following the 2012 Land Art Generator Initiative design competition to create a new public art installation on the site of Freshkills Park for several months now, and are excited to announce that the winner was announced just moments ago in New York City. “Scene Sensor”, designed by artists James Murray and Shota Vashakmadze, is a striking piezoelectric energy-generating art project designed to be installed above and below the surface of the Staten Island park. The duo from Atlanta will walk away with the $15,000 grand prize, while the $4,000 second place goes to Matthew Rosenberg, Matt Melnyk, Emmy Maruta, and Robbie Eleazer for their design “Fresh Hills”.”
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The Land Art Generator Initiative: Exploring the Fusion of Public Artwork and Clean Power Generation

Direct Link to Full Press Release

Imagine a new permanent work of iconic public art for New York City on a grand scale. And now imagine this work of art contributing clean electricity to the city grid equivalent to the energy consumed by hundreds or even thousands of homes, while educating hundreds of visitors every day about emerging green technologies.

The Land Art Generator Initiative invited interdisciplinary teams to submit their design ideas for public artwork that can generate hundreds of megawatt-hours of electricity from wind, solar, or other renewable sources. The design site is within Freshkills Park (the former Fresh Kills Landfill) in Staten Island, and the competition is a partnership with New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation, Staten Island Arts (COAHSI), and the Institute for Urban Design.

250 entries came in from interdisciplinary teams around the world and now the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) is pleased to announce the first exhibition and award ceremony event, which will open at 7pm on October 25 at the Soho Gallery for Digital Art (138 Sullivan Street, NYC).

LAGINYC 2012 is an ideas competition to design a site-specific public artwork for Freshkills Park that, in addition to its conceptual beauty, has the ability to harness energy cleanly from nature and convert it to electricity for the utility grid.

Eloise Hirsh, the Freshkills Park Administrator summed up the results:

“We were excited to see the diversity of submissions to the 2012 LAGI ideas competition. Entrants clearly took the scale and natural beauty of Freshkills as sources of inspiration. This competition is a testament to the important roles creativity, public art, and renewable energy will play at Freshkills Park.”

The expansiveness of the design site at Freshkills Park presents the opportunity to power the equivalent of hundreds or even thousands of homes with a large work of public infrastructure art. The stunning beauty of the reclaimed landscape provides an opportune setting from which to be inspired, and it offers the perfect environment for a showcase example of the immense potential of aesthetically interesting renewable energy installations for sustainable urban planning.

The detailed design brief was released on January 1, 2012 and can be seen in full detail at the design competition portfolio website at landartgenerator.org/LAGI-2012 , where visitors can also browse through the full portfolio of submissions.

The monetary prize awards to the winners of the 2012 LAGI design competition will not guarantee a commission for construction; however, LAGI will work with stakeholders both locally (NYC) and internationally to pursue possibilities for implementation of the most pragmatic and aesthetic designs that come from the biennial LAGI competitions.

Dwell Asia Magazine (September/October Issue) has a great review of The Time Is Now: Public Art of the Sustainable City. Click image for larger version.

The book is beautifully designed by Page One Publishing. It includes 51 submissions to the 2010 edition of the LAGI design competition, as well as fascinating essays written by Beth Carruthers, Michiel Van Raaij, and Reuben Andrews (with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority). It also includes a forward essay by LAGI and an opening statement by Masdar.

“And now the final beauty of this initiative is that we can explore the feasibility of implementing all the leading submissions—again creating a link between a future vision and today’s reality”

-Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar

It is now available directly from the publisher and in select retail outlets.

Click HERE for information about how to purchase your copy. Or you can now also purchase directly online through Kinokuniya Book World.

From the publisher’s description:

In 2010, the Land Art Generator Initiative held its first international design competition to explore the various facets of renewable energy’s beauty. Artists, architects, engineers and scientists from around the world worked together to design power plants that would function not only as infrastructure for clean energy production, but also as conceptually powerful works of art for the United Arab Emirates. This book presents the best of the entries, the winners of which were chosen by an international jury. The aim is to actualise public art that fulfills its societal role while pushing the boundaries of technology—progress at peace with the natural world.

A review of The Time is Now
Land and Energy Pt. 2 – review of ‘The Time Is Now’
By Chris Fremantle
September 2012

A review of “A Field Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies”
by Sculpture Magazine (A publication of the International Sculpture Center), September 2012
www.sculpture.org

Is a sustainable future within reach?
John Elkington finds inspiration in the ready and available solutions listed in the Sustainia100 prospectus

The Time is Now: Public Art of the Sustainable City
Wonderfully interesting and informative book review by Twylene Moyer for the International Sculpture Center (Publisher of Sculpture Magazine)

The Land Art Generator Initiative is honoured as a top sustainable solution at Rio+20! See the complete press release here.

Yesterday, sustainability legend Gro Harlem Brundtland, media guru and philanthropist Ted Turner, EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard, and 150 VIP guests celebrated the first concrete outcome at Rio+20: The launch of Sustainia100.

Download / read the complete “Sustainia100” here.

We’re honored to be one of twenty-four selected social entrepreneurs who make up the inaugural group of Social Innovation Rockstars (SIR) feature at SIR.tv.

Go to the SIR.tv site to discover all of the interesting work that is being driven by these creative individuals!

Giovani architetti, ho una sfida per voi: create capolavori che producano energia
by Alessandra Viola

Free, Easy-to-Use Field Guide Lists 60 + Proven Clean Energy Technologies
by Tafline Laylin

Entrepreneurs at the Intersection of Art and Energy
This is a very nice post about our lecture last week at Shelter Dubai.
Thanks to Mary Ames and everyone at Shelter.

The work of Studied Impact Design (the design house of Elizabeth Monoian and Robert Ferry) is included in a new book by Daab Publishing, “Superlative Emirates: the New Dimension of Urban Design.” The section features information about the 10MW Tower project and the Land Art Generator Initiative.
Edited by Caroline Klein

We know that Le Monde has a nice spread out (including images of LAGI 2010 submissions) about the Land Art Generator Initiative because people have told us about it, but we haven’t seen it yet. We’ll post a link to it here once we find it.

Powered by Art? TEDx Pittsburgh talk
edited by Tracy Certo

Land Art Generator Initiative Partners With NYC Parks
A very thoughtful overview of LAGI 2012 with reference the project outreach, including to the R.E.A.D. section of the website and the 2012 high school edition. newyork.thecityatlas.org is a nicely designed website with a lot of great content.

Registration for the 2012 Land Art Generator Initiative Design Contest for Freshkills Park Opens
by Lori Zimmer