When Spanish researcher Nacho Zamora first stumbled upon an image of "Solarsail," an energy-generating art installation in Switzerland, he knew he had found something different from the other public artworks he had been studying -- and something important.
Since that discovery, Zamora has been carefully cataloging solar-powered artworks around the world and interviewing their creators for his Solar Artworks Project, an online compendium of public art that is aesthetically striking, environmentally sustainable, and raises awareness about crucial renewable technologies.
One example of such works is Belgium-based artist Alexandre Dang's "Dancing Solar Flowers."
The flowers have brightened many of the halls of power in Europe, bringing color and playfulness to the European Parliament buildings in Brussels, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg, among numerous other exhibitions around the world.
Up to 10,000 multicolored "flowers" in each installation move when exposed to sunlight, creating a "dancing" effect. Though most shows to date have been temporary, the artist is currently preparing a permanent installation for a children's hospital in Brussels.
"Solar artworks bring poetry to people and to mankind. They are also likely to raise awareness on the potential of solar energy," says Dang, who also founded the organization Solar Solidarity International to help build renewable-energy facilities in places without access to conventional energy sources.