UWE Bristol has partnered with street art specialists Upfest, and the pioneering manufacturer of building integrated photovoltaic solutions BIPVco to investigate Solar Facades as Participatory Public Art.
The project, led by Dr Eleonora Nicoletti, Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Environmental Engineering, has culminated in a series of artworks on display at the Tobacco Factory cafe bar to showcase the reimagining of Bristol for the renewable energy transition.
The exhibition features conceptual artworks envisioning solar facades, by acclaimed artists AcerOne, Andy Council, Bex Glover, Dave Bain and Elaine Carr. The exhibition is the result of a series of events led by Eleonora to co-create with the Bristol community visual concepts for integrating photovoltaics into facades of existing buildings in the Bedminster area.
The artworks reflect thoughts from Bristol residents, architects and other built environment specialists, considering possibilities for integrating solar photovoltaic technology into building facades, which would in turn generate electrical energy from sunlight.
Dr Eleonora Nicoletti, has been conducting research on the visual design of solar façades. She has previous international experience in creating public artworks integrating photovoltaics and in delivering talks and workshops to engage communities on the topic of solar technologies for integration into art and architecture.
Generating electrical energy from sunlight, photovoltaics can be installed on buildings and contribute to the decarbonisation of the power grid. Photovoltaic technology can be integrated visibly or invisibly into facades for retrofit projects aimed at improving the energy performance of buildings. However, there is still a lack of research involving local communities in the design of solar installations, exploring their views on the visual composition of photovoltaic facades for retrofitting buildings within specific urban contexts. Eleonora’s project looks to change this.
Alongside the artwork on display, members of the public are asked to provide anonymous feedback. The results are anticipated to shed light on the local community’s inclination for the visual design of photovoltaic facades as participatory public art.
The exhibition can be seen in the Tobacco Factory café until July 31st.
The project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), under the Design Accelerator scheme (Grant Ref: AH/X003574/1).