Staring at the Sun' by Alice Bucknell is now on view as part of From Solar to Nocturnal exhibition curated by Giulia Bini for the EPFL Pavilions and the second Solar Biennale at mudac, Lausanne.
Staring at the Sun is a "sc-fi documentary" exploring the dark side of solar geoengineering: the deliberate, large-scale modification of the Earth’s climate systems by manipulating the influence of the sun. Set globally across the Louisiana Bayou to the Arctic Circle, Wyoming to Gstaad, and from the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to the palm oil plantations of Indonesia, this work examines geoengineering proposals that are currently undergoing research and development in both the United States and Europe, as well as current evolutions in climate modeling and digital twin technology. By embracing the parafictional and paradoxical nature of the "sci-fi documentary" format, the project examines the slippery border between the future fictive and the already real as humanity stands on the precipice of a new era of climate engineering. Ultimately the film considers what is at stake with solar geoengineering protocols, the evolution of Earth to planet to world, and the many blindspots of rendering the atmosphere as something mappable, modifiable, and wholly knowable.
Click here to read more on Bucknell's work
Organized in conjunction with the second Solar Biennale presented by mudac, Soleil·s, the exhibition From Solar to Nocturnal explores the world-building technologies, AI, and interspecies sensory translation, connecting real-world scenarios with alternative visions of our relationship with the environment.
Launched in 2022 in the Netherlands by designers Pauline van Dongen and Marjan van Aubel, the Solar Biennale provides a platform for reflection on the challenges of solar energy. For this second edition, mudac is broadening the theme by bringing together designers, curators, activists, and researchers to explore expanded perspectives on how to approach ecological transition.
Staring at the Sun will be on view from from 20 March to 27 April 2025. More information about the exhibition here.
