BARTER THE SOLAR PROJECT

XI° Biennale di Architettura di Venezia, 2005

Consani starts working at Barter the Solar Project in 2005. The project is presented for the first time in 2008 for Seek Refuge an event of the XI° Biennale di Architettura di Venezia. The work is developed through the creation of an international human web, persons involved are inventors of solar kitchens and they come from all over the world. The artist contacts them by internet to ask to collaborate to the project.

The installation is made with texts, photos, drawings regarding projects for solar ovens and kitchens. From a computer it is possible to dawnload for free projects and instructions to made them in a cheap way and by oneself. The installation is completed with a solar cooking prototype made by the artist. It is conceived as low cost using everyday life material: the inside part of an umbrella is lined with polystyrene and with reflecting aluminium. One mirror is fixed on its handle, at the base of the handle is fixed a grill, upon it the pot with food to cook. Ray of sunlight are captured by the parabola, amplified by the mirror and converged towards the pot. The stove develops a maximum of 250 Watt of power. Prototype production costs Euro 8,00. In 2013 Consani makes a solar oven able to reach a temperature of 250 °. The oven is a prototype that the artist wants to produce on a large scale for humanitarian purposes.