The Power & Illumination Project #1

Berlin Presentation: An Introduction


The first presentation of The Power & Illumination Project took place in Berlin and was a general introduction to the project.

This presentation provided a description of the step-by-step realization of the idea, discussing technical development, available power resources, financing, political and ecological aspects and so forth. This information was presented on a series of charts in one room of the exhibition space.

The other room contained an interactive installation where the basic principle of charging batteries using exercise eqipment, and subsequently powering light-equipment with these batteries was demonstrated. Here, the audience was encouraged to help keeping the light burning by contributing to the cherging of the batteries through physical exercise.

The Power & Illumination Project – An Introduction was presented at Spawasser HQ in Berlinin August 2004.

The Power & Illumination Project is based on the idéa of using fitness-centers as sources of energy. The kinetic energy being generated here is converted to electical energy, and is used to produce and mediate knowledge regarding the global energy balance and it’s political consequences.

The project does not operate with an economy based on financial profit, but rather with a target-oriented gathering and distribution of resources that would otherwise have gone to waste. The focus here is on the relationship between the power source and the power consumption. From this perspective, The P & I Project can be seen as a way of converting physical power into the power of knowledge.

The P & I Project was originally designed with the state of California as a model, as circumstances here provide an optimal basis for putting theory into practice. The fundamental idea, however, is applicable on most industrialized societies in the western world today - large and small.

The P & I Project has been going on since 2004, and is under continuous development.

technical advisor
Ib Bang

research assistance, Los Angeles
Karin I. M. Johansson

technical assistance
Mikkel Breum

layout, images
Jens Johanssen, Hjemmegrafik