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Marjan van Aubel www.marjanvanaubel.com

Ra- Illuminating Solar Panel

By 05-11-2021

Ra is Marjan van Aubel’s latest artwork inspired by the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra, who was seen as the creator of the sun, the work is powered by sunlight. Ra turns solar energy into a form of art. Its vibrant coloured solar cells capture sunlight, harvest it locally and make the integrated light shine in the evening. Ra is using the latest technology to transform solar, usually seen as something technical, into beauty and poetry.

Just as stained glass windows in churches used to tell stories of the past, this series tells the story of our future. It will be a post-fossil future where we turn to the power of the sun – our infinite energy source that powers all life on earth. It is a story of hope, where we will look up to the sky instead of digging down into the ground.

Ra uses organic Photovoltaics, a third-generation solar technology that is printed on PET and that is produced in a circular manner. The energy captured by Ra is stored in an integrated battery that powers an electroluminescent paper, making the work less than 1mm thin. You can hang Ra in your window where it will work with your natural surroundings as the colours change throughout the day, depending on the position of the sun. The bright graphic patterns create a moiré effect that casts vivid coloured shadows into the space. In the evening, a glowing ring proudly displays its captured energy in the form of light.

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