In the 1970s, the humanist geographer Yi Futuan speculated, “In some ideal future, our loyalty will only be loyal to the hometown with intimate memories, and at the other end of the scale, it is the entire earth.” Half of the world. century later, energy The Swiss Institute adopts Tuan’s dual vision while eliminating any notion that the ideal has been achieved. Instead, the play’s hyperlocal roots and global reach offer a pointed critique of the power relations inherent in the act of power generation. “Sparks” tells the story of grassroots activism in the East Village in the 1970s.
In the devastated urban landscape of the 1973 oil crisis, the first sweat equity cooperative was born 519 East 11th Street. On the roof, residents installed a two-kilowatt wind turbine and solar panels to provide power to the community during frequent blackouts. energy Includes archival documents and works by Becky Howland and Gordon Matta-Clark, who were involved in local regeneration projects in the 1970s: Howland’s sculpture On Fire Tankers (1983/1996/2024) and the works of Matta-Clark energy tree (1972-73) Painting Series. It also examines issues of energy justice through a contemporary lens through a curated group of artists.
The exhibition radiates into the surrounding area, where there is a mural by Otobong Nkanga (whose current monumental installation at MoMA is a must-see), as well as the Basilica of San Marco ( The rebuilt Matta-Clark rose bush fence at St. Mark’s Church. Inside the Swiss Institute, its three floors are filled with works that collectively reach a global scale in strange ways: Vibeke Mascini’s installation is powered by cocaine confiscated in the port of Rotterdam; Saba Khan’s retro-futuristic sculpture references the World Bank-funded Indus River Hydropower project; Joar Nango’s structure is made of wood, reindeer sinew and the aforementioned halibut stomach, used in Sami architecture due to its transparent and insulating properties; Cannupa Hanska Luger Mirror shield designed for water protectors at Standing Rock Preserve.
Several works document the extractivism and neglect of neocolonialism: Gabriela Torres-Ferrer plays footage of the ongoing devastation in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria; Ximena Garrido-Lecca reveals how the world Cerro de Pasco, the highest-altitude and most polluted mining city in Peru The environmental toll caused; Liu Chuang lit a series of atavistic makeshift torches in Dongguan, China’s declining manufacturing hub. Jean Katambayi Mukendi’s four ballpoint pen ‘Afrolamp’ drawings feature the iconic shape of the incandescent light bulb, punching holes in its weight as a tribute to the copper-rich, energy-hungry world. Lubumbashi made witty commentary on the exploitation of Africa’s mineral resources.
Small in scale but ambitious in concept, these artworks beg the question: How impactful can intellectual, historic interventions be in a perilous time for environmental protection? The exhibit’s origin story suggests one answer—residents who installed wind turbines were sued by the near-monopoly Con Edison, forcing it to buy back the remaining energy. With the unlikely support of former Attorney General William Ramsey Clark, they prevailed, opening a path for decentralized power production in the United States and, like the show they inspired, Hope is sown in the ripples of small local actions.
energy The exhibition will be on view at the Swiss Institute (38 St. Marks Place, East Village, Manhattan) until January 5, 2025. The exhibition is curated by Stefanie Hessler, Director of the Swiss Institute, with Chief Curator Alison Coplan, Assistant Curator KJ Abudu, and Curatorial Assistant Clara Pugh Clara Prat-Gay.
