Olafur Eliasson forges agreement with IKEA to produce small, inexpensive solar-powered items

The great Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson (Copenhagen, 1967) has announced that he has entered into an agreement with IKEA, the multinational furniture company, to produce small, inexpensive objects that run on solar energy. This is an initiative that falls under the Little Sun project, developed together with engineer Frederik Ottesen, launched a few years ago by Eliasson himself, and born with important social utility intentions: the purpose was in fact to provide a low-cost, solar-powered lamp to those in the world who are not reached by the electricity grid. Little Sun then became a company specializing in the production of such items. And to date, it has brought solar power to ten African countries, distributing as many as 661,578 “little suns” around the world, 377,637 of them in areas that do not have electricity coverage, and also contributing to the economic development of the countries to which they are brought (in fact, more than 600 African entrepreneurs have joined the project).

The partnership with IKEA, Little Sun explains, is aimed at “inspiring and exploring new ways to harness solar energy through creative and intelligent design.” “Our goal,” reads a note, “is to get this message across among IKEA customers by introducing them to portable solar-powered lighting and other solutions, all while raising awareness of the global need for energy access for all.”

IKEA and Little Sun will thus collaborate on everyday items that will be sold in IKEA stores: and in the future, the two companies will work not only on energy, but also on water and communication. “In short,” the note concludes, “we want to create solutions that make everyday life increasingly sustainable, renewable, and independent.” The development, Eliasson told artnet News, will start soon: “there will be a small selection of objects inspired by solar energy.” More information can be found on Little Sun’s website, where objects that the company already produces on its own can already be purchased at decidedly modest prices.

Pictured: Olafur Eliasson with a “little sun.”

Olafur Eliasson forges agreement with IKEA to produce small, inexpensive solar-powered items

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