The Solar Biennale: SUN in the City

How can the sun, our most important source of light, be a better and more beautiful part of our daily lives? Our city programme ZON in de Stad reaches out to all the people in Rotterdam, come join us at surprising locations while we squeeze our eyes to slits and turn our gaze to the sun.

Sun in the city aims to make the sun even more part of your daily life. Wherever you go, the sun is mostly there too. You find these places when you walk, you cycle past them, you shop there, maybe you’ve come to chill. Under this shining light, we come together to share stories, experiences and things we know on the energy transition. The sun is our biggest help, when we design with the sun we can move even further from technical solutions, we create wholesome applications that allow surfaces to gain their own energy.

Towards a different perspective

Too often, solar energy is a matter of corporations, companies, governments and (mediated) homeowners. That needs to change. The Solar Biennale seeks the opportunity to bring the conversation to a wider audience. The sun is there for everyone. The program not only focuses on artistic contributions, Sun in the City emphasizes solar education and mediation: the term solar energy coined by big corporations must be stripped of its technical vocabulary in order for a large group of citizens, developers, artists, builders, kids can get started with it.

We work together with different parties in Rotterdam that share our mutual interest in the sun. We will host events on what an energy cooperative looks like, we will help you reaching out to contacts in your own neighborhood or show you how a solar cell works. Not in a small room somewhere in the back, but while we fry an egg together on a solar cooker or solder a solar robot.

Come join us in Rotterdam and get to know the sun with us during all sorts of activities, performances and get-togethers!

SUNdays

We present artistic interventions by Rotterdam-based creatives in which the power of the sun is central; singer Neila Moon, dancer Mark S and hoolahoop performer Silke will experiment with the sun in a residency program. We will be showing the results of this quest at the ZONdagen. We are making this part of the program together with (museum)ParX, Tim Wes and André Marques.
In understandable language with hands-on examples an artist, journalist, scientist or otherwise super interesting thinker/maker will take you to the sun with a Solar Talk.
And do you want to know how to make use of the sun's energy yourself? Solar First Aid in collaboration with Energie van Zuid and Zonnestad show you how the sun works and how to purposfully use it. Children get started with a fun workshop and the energy coaches talk to their parents, providing information, giving you new ideas and helping you on your way with whatever solar question you may have.
Because we always work in different places and with different partners we keep a spot open for spontaneous interactions: what is needed at the above mentioned locations? A cooking show with solar cookers? An energy walk through the neighborhood? Or rather a workshop with solar cells or making your own sunburn? Together with you and with our partners we happily hear your thoughts > hello@thesolarmovement.org.
The Circle

The Circle is a design of solar designer Marjan van Aubel and her studio. The reflecting installation is not to be missed with its diameter of five meters. The Circle will travel the streets of Rotterdam, presenting a diverse Sun in the City program. The material we have used to create the structure are completely circular, in synch with the idea of The Solar Biennale: a human perspective on solar power starts with information!
Follow the Cirkel in Rotterdam and share your images from The Circle , you can tag us too, @thesolarbiennale.
More information here.

When and where?

The Solar Biennale will travel through Rotterdam, to North, South, East and West. Collaborations include BlueCity, Studio Roosegaarde, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen and Rotterdam Bloeit Op. Rotterdam Sun in the City can be found at Rotterdamse Oogst, Paviljoen… aan het Water, Prins Alexanderplein en Middellandplein. Keep an eye on the Calendar for the current overview of dates, times and locations.

TSB x (collaborations)

TSB x BlueCity

The Solar Biennale collaborates with the circular model city BlueCity010. BlueCity wants to bring back the Equinox as a ritual to get closer to nature. The Autumn Equinox will take place on Friday 23 September. BlueCity will start the day with a free Sunrise Yoga session in the i wave pool and close the day with a special Equinox Ceremony by artist and avantgarde iman Salima el Musalima.
Equinox
An equinox (Latin: aequinoctium, equal night) (also: equinox or equinox) is a time in the year when the sun is directly above the equator. At the time of the equinox, the length of day and night is roughly the same everywhere on Earth, namely half a day - and the sun rises exactly in the east. In nature religions, the celebration of the equinox is still very common. This is not surprising, because these are the celestial bodies that clearly have a direct influence on life on Earth. The position of the sun and moon in relation to the earth determines day and night, the seasons and the tides.
TSB x Rotterdam Bloeit Op

Together with bureau Kongsi and Groenemorgen, The Solar Biennale celebrates the finals of the solar competition on Friday, September 2. Nothing reminds us of the sun like the Sunflower! Its flower rotating with the sun not only brightens up many a street, the sunflower helps green the city and helps insects and birds in the city.
TSB x Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen

Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the first publicly accessible art depot that takes you behind the scenes of a museum, celebrates the autumnal equinox with us. The moment the sun sets, you can enjoy an invigorating yoga session in the open air on the 40m2 high roof terrace on September 23 and 24.