“Artists Advocate for Energy Justice Through Grassroots Efforts”
**Exploring “Energies” at the Swiss Institute: Art as a Catalyst for Energy Justice**
In the heart of New York City’s East Village, the Swiss Institute presents *Energies*, a cutting-edge exhibition that blends history, activism, and contemporary art to examine global energy systems and their social, environmental, and political implications. The show, curated by Stefanie Hessler, director of the Swiss Institute, along with Alison Coplan, KJ Abudu, and Clara Prat-Gay, runs until January 5, 2025, and uses hyperlocal stories to illuminate complex global systems.
### A Journey Rooted in the 1970s East Village
The inspiration for *Energies* arises from a poignant grassroots movement in the 1970s East Village. Amidst the harsh reality of rolling blackouts during the 1973 oil crisis, a group of residents created the first sweat equity co-op at 519 E 11th Street, installing a two-kilowatt wind turbine paired with solar panels on the rooftop. Their efforts not only provided the building with electricity but also planted the seeds for decentralized energy systems in the United States when they successfully challenged energy giant Con Edison in court.
This remarkable tale of resilience and resourcefulness serves as the exhibition’s cornerstone, connecting local acts of innovation to today’s global efforts in energy justice. The exhibit’s archival materials, such as Becky Howland’s “Oil Tankers on Fire” and Gordon Matta-Clark’s *Energy Trees*, vividly recall those transformative decades while inviting visitors to consider current challenges in energy equity through a diverse array of works.
### A Contemporary Lens on Energy Justice
The featured works in *Energies* span perspectives from every corner of the globe, tying historical and local activism to contemporary ecological and social issues. On view are deeply thought-provoking installations and multimedia works that interrogate themes of sustainability, colonialism, and extractivism.
For example:
– **Vibeke Mascini**, in a striking statement on unconventional energy sources, powers her installation with cocaine confiscated from Rotterdam’s port.
– **Jean Katambayi Mukendi**, through his Afrolamp drawings, critiques the exploitation of copper-rich African regions, particularly in Lubumbashi, while celebrating resourceful artistic inventiveness.
– **Joar Nango** constructs a structure using natural materials such as wood, reindeer sinew, and halibut stomachs, a nod to Sámi architectural traditions and their sustainable ways of living in harmony with nature.
– **Cannupa Hanska Luger’s mirror shields**, first devised for water protectors at Standing Rock, push cultural resistance into artistic dialogue, symbolizing solidarity in the face of environmental degradation.
By layering such diverse voices, the exhibition invites viewers to consider energy production not as a neutral or purely technical enterprise, but as a deeply human issue marked by inequalities and social struggles.
### The Ripple Effect of Local Acts
A compelling aspect of the exhibition is its exploration of how small-scale interventions can ripple into larger systemic change. The recreation of Gordon Matta-Clark’s *rosebush enclosure* at St. Mark’s Church and Otobong Nkanga’s nearby mural emphasize the importance of public engagement and visibility within the local community.
These artistic interventions create dialogue far beyond gallery walls, extending to global concerns. Works like Gabriela Torres-Ferrer’s video document the ongoing recovery of Puerto Rico post–Hurricane Maria, while Ximena Garrido-Lecca’s films expose the environmental devastation in mining hubs such as Cerro de Pasco, Peru.
The exhibition tells a powerful story: progress often begins with small, localized actions, like the East Village residents who dared to challenge a monopoly in the 1970s. Their success paved the way for broader changes in energy production, offering inspiration for collective futures.
### Bridging the Local and the Global
As visitors move through *Energies*, they witness art’s ability to translate dense and often inaccessible topics like power grids and hydropower projects into tangible, sensory experiences. Saba Khan’s retro-futuristic sculpture examining World Bank-funded projects on the Indus River and Liu Chuang’s meditative video installation lighting makeshift torches in Dongguang challenge our notions of progress and sustainability.
By linking these works to the early grassroots efforts of East Village activists, *Energies* creates a continuum — one that ties the hyperlocal struggles of individuals to vast, interconnected planetary systems. The exhibition underscores the belief that lasting change must take root both at intimate, community levels and on a planetary scale.
### Art as a Call to Action
While *Energies* impresses with its intellectual depth and creative output, it doesn’t shy away from challenging difficult questions. Can art spearhead impactful change in a world that continues to face ecological crisis? The exhibition doesn’t present definitive answers, but it provides a hopeful reminder: meaningful change often begins with small,