The Tate Modern will be plunged into darkness this week as part of the launch of Olafur Eliassona's new art project Little Sun.
Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen have developed the Little Sun solar-powered lamp with an aim to bring solar-powered light to off-grid areas of the world.
As part of the launch of the lamps on 28 July,the Tate will create a black-out in which visitors will be given the solar-powered lights to view the gallerya's other works of art.
The lights will be turned off for two hours every Saturday night from 22.00 to midnight,during which visitors will be able to view the gallerya's Surrealist collection using Little Sun lamps.
The lamps produce five hours of light when charged in sunlight for the same amount of time.
The artista's work will be featured on the third floor of the Tate where information regarding solar power will be given to visitors.There will also be a special set-up for people to do light graffiti using the Little Sun.
a Around 1.6 billion people worldwide live without access to mains electricity.Many of them rely on kerosene lanterns for lighting,which is both expensive and a health hazard.A ten-year-old doing her homework in the evening to the light of a wick-based kerosene lantern breathes in pollution equivalent to smoking 40 cigarettes a daya,says Olafur Eliasson.
This is why,together with the engineer Frederik Ottesen,I have developed the solar-powered lamp Little Sun.What is interesting about solar energy is that it takes something that is for all of us the sun and makes it available to each of us.
