Visionaries Gathered to Imagine Solarpunk Future

On May 31st, a diverse group of experts and creatives came together for the Solarpunk Project Sunrise Gathering, an event dedicated to exploring and developing ideas for a more sustainable and harmonious future. The gathering brought together philosophers, artists, designers, scientists, and technologists from various countries to share their visions of a solarpunk world.

The event began with attendees sharing personal stories of their connection to nature. These ranged from Marjan Slob's practice of "solar chores" - using energy-intensive appliances only when solar panels are generating electricity - to Tanya Torn Lau's bond with a self-grown paksoy plant, and Gaspard Bos's unexpected connection to nature while working on an AI project to protect bears.

The heart of the gathering focused on brainstorming future solarpunk activities. Three main ideas emerged:

1. Solarpunk Grow Your Own Garment Ceremony: A kit for growing wearable garments made from mycelia, to be worn at a solarpunk dance event. This idea combines spirituality, resilience, and transformation.
2. Decentralized Community Care: A network for broadcasting invitations to intimate, real-time solarpunk events using non-standard interfaces, emphasizing radical community care and solidarity.
3. Stooping and Mothing: An initiative to create new words and meanings for solarpunk practices, highlighting the power of language in shaping our future.

The gathering also identified key research questions for the solarpunk movement, including the need for new language to share solarpunk narratives and exploring what solarpunk ceremonies might look like.

Afterwards participants continued discussed upcoming opportunities to further develop and showcase solarpunk ideas, including the Dutch Design Week, and the WHY2025 hacker event. Project lead Pieter van Boheemen expressed enthusiasm about potentially setting up a solarpunk village at the WHY2025 event in August 2025.

As the Solarpunk Project Sunrise Gathering concluded, attendees left energized and inspired, ready to turn their visionary ideas into reality. The event demonstrated the growing interest in solarpunk philosophies and the potential for collaborative, creative approaches to building a more sustainable and equitable world.

Dit project wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt met steun van Stimuleringsfonds voor de Creatieve Industrie