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."