Your Star, 2015, Helium balloon, aluminium casing, lithium iron phosphate battery, 30W LED light, Stockholm 2015. Photo: Anders J. Larsson / Nobel Media
The piece, which creates a new "star" above Stockholm City Hall, is an LED light encased in a specially-designed aluminum sphere. The light that radiates from it uses energy harvested from the sun last summer using a solar panel, which was then stored in a lithium iron phosphate battery. The idea is that it takes energy from a sunny summer's day and lights up a frosty winter night with it. It's hoisted into the air using a 10m diameter helium balloon.
Eliasson has used the sun's energy in many of his projects and artworks before, like his portable solar-powered lamp Little Sun, a solar phone charger Little Sun Charger, and his kinetic sculpture and sun tracker World Illuminator.Speaking about his man-made winter star made from summer light, Eliasson says, “Your Star shines old light. It makes the past present and illuminates a path for the future. The star lights up the Stockholm sky in celebration of the new knowledge, thoughts, and words of this year’s Nobel laureates. But it is not only the past achievements of the award recipients that will lead to positive new steps for the future; Your Star is equally about the everyday inspiration and dreams that we should all nourish. It encourages us to turn our dreams and hopes into potential for new ideas. It is a dream machine.”
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