Oleg Lobykin, Solar Art Design

The 2010 Land Art Generator Initiative international competition invited artists to submit designs for public art installations that combine aesthetics with clean energy. Oleg Lobykin submitted this design. Hundreds of entries were received from over 40 countries. This one was judged among the dozen most practicable.

Solaris is a sculptural art installation comprised of hundreds of photovoltaic panels arranged in the pattern of a familiar cultural ornamental. This approach combines the benefits of modern technology for producing solar energy as electricity with a visual representation of traditional images having cultural significance. Due to its size and proximity to the airport, the site offers an opportunity to showcase a design from an aerial vantage point that is quite distinctive and provides an attractive alternative to a strictly utilitarian configuration of panels in flat straight rows.

The arrangement of the solar panels in this proposal is intended to be illustrative of the concept. Airline travelers to and from Abu Dhabi would be able to view the design as they approach or depart the city by air, while visitors to the site at ground level will experience a sensation of passing along the coast of an “industrial ocean” by car from the road. Stopping at the site, visitors will be able to walk under the “canopy” of an “industrial jungle” to the dome-shaped visitor center and observe any changes in the shape or location of the coastline that may have taken place since installation. In this way, viewers will see Solaris very differently depending upon their perspective in relation to it. The Solaris installation will generate environmental awareness using the universal language of art.


This work is a proposal for the City of San Francisco, to be placed in the Bay. The enlarged shark fin - up to 45 feet high - is made from stainless steel with solar panels on one side. It floats on the surface of the water and can be moved from time to time, creating an element of surprise reminiscent of the feeling one experiences in response to an actual shark sighting. The work represents the interplay between technological progress and a sense of danger or fear of the unknown future.		"The unique insights expressed by art allow us to see visions of the world that we have not ourselves seen or experienced, either by looking at the familiar in a new way or by seeing something different and wonderful that is unlike anything else. We are attracted to that which we do not know, that we do not yet understand, and even that which we might not like."

When art marries function, they produce a transformation. We can see things in an entirely new way.		Photovoltaic elements - cells & modules - and even entire installations can serve as building blocks for artistic compositions.* Text, graphic design and 2- or 3-dimensional structures can be integrated with architecture or public art. *Patent pending

Public art that serves a practical purpose.		Customized designs for any community.

From small to commercial or even utility scale, innovative design will keep them talking.		As the world moves from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, there is an opportunity to make our environment both cleaner and more beautiful.

What message would you convey?		Without the hearts and hands of the following people, Solar Art Design would not have come into being. Thanks and appreciation to: Alexei Andreev, Kimberly Carlton, Penelope Naylor, Lina Faershtein, Denis Krylov, Andriy Goncharov, and Transparent House, Inc.

Oleg Lobykin has roots in a tradition of the old world craft of stone carving yet considers himself "an international man and product of globalization." He defies labels and strives to show how old and new, timeless and contemporary, familiar and unexpected elements can combine to reveal hidden truths. His work explores connections between what is known and emerging insights about the nature of life. Respecting the past while reaching toward the future, his work reflects the dynamic, evolving reality of the present.

Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Oleg now resides in California's Silicon Valley. He is a sculptor interested in conceptual art and likes to use modern tools and technology as an opportunity to reach new heights.

For more information:

Oleg Lobykin

(650) 575-9683

Email us.