SDG 7 - Art exhibition about fire and sustainable energy generation
- 2022-12-09
- Janna Degener-Storr
Art exhibition ‘Controlled Burn’
The artist Julian Charrière explores our role in nature in his exhibition ‘Controlled Burn’.
Controlled burning means that a fire is set deliberately, for example to make a forested area usable for farming, or to restore an ecosystem. It is therefore a process in which something that is naturally uncontrollable is consciously used to reach a goal.
Even the name of the shows that the issues addressed are highly topical: reports about wildfires as a consequence of climate change can be found on the news on a daily basis. These wildfires are just one example of how human beings, who seek to control everything, frequently lose control of their own actions.
The installation is shown in the space of ‘Langen Foundation’ in Neuss that is a work of art in its own right. It comprises absurd-looking, distressing and at the same time aesthetic images showing blazing tropical forests, burning wells and sparks in foggy skies, as well as addressing the use of alternatives such as solar energy.
the French-Swiss artist explains how fire to him represents destruction as well as genesis or formation, and that it is currently often hidden, despite being omnipresent. The exhibition is a perfect match for the time of the energy crisis, in which Europe is putting coal-fired and nuclear power plants back into operation, despite the visible consequences of climate change. The exhibition is held from 4 September 2022 until 6 August 2023.