Olafur Eliasson in residence at MIT

*What a good idea.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2014/olafur-eliasson-at-mit-for-2014-eugene-mcdermott-award-in-the-arts-at-mit.html

“Olafur Eliasson at MIT for 2014 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
Award includes artist residency, public events, $100,000 prize and gala

“The Council for the Arts at MIT is pleased to announce that Olafur Eliasson, recipient of the 2014 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT, will be at MIT March 12-14 to accept the prestigious honor. In addition to receiving the $100,000 prize and attending public programs and a gala, the artist will undertake a brief residency, interacting with MIT students, faculty, and staff in a range of academic disciplines on campus.

“Renowned for large-scale public art projects and architectural works, Eliasson teamed with engineer Frederik Ottesen to create Little Sun, a portable solar-powered LED lamp designed to bring clean, affordable light to the 1.6 billion people worldwide who have no access to electricity. But Little Sun is more than just a lamp — it’s also a social business enterprise, a vast global network bringing together people, places, and resources toward the common goal of more equitably distributing the world’s power, both literally and figuratively.

“The artist’s activities on campus will center on discussions of sustainable development, community engagement, design, product engineering, and social entrepreneurship in developing economies. He will engage with the MIT Energy Initiative (MITei), a multidisciplinary, Institute-wide research program working to find secure, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable energy sources; the MIT D-Lab (Development through Dialogue, Design and Dissemination); the Sloan School of Management; the MIT Center for Civic Media; and the MIT Museum, among others….”

http://littlesun.com