The Color of Energy

Anchored in a chromatic framework, The Color of Energy explores the aesthetic and affective dimensions of how energy is harnessed, consumed, and imagined. This exhibition comes at a crucial juncture in human history, as the global energy crisis has underscored the urgent need to transition to sustainable energy sources. This crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, has led to a spike in oil and gas prices, rampant inflation, and intensified the call for a shift.

The colors in the exhibition narrate stories of conflict, innovation, and adaptation, inviting a reflection not only on how energy shapes our world but also on how it colors our perceptions and emotions: the amber of smog-filled skies, the toxic yellow of acid rains, the rusty orange of oil spills in the ocean, the searing red of wildfires,  the blue hue of solar panels, the white of melting glaciers, the gleaming silver of technological advancements, the neon green of radioactive uranium, the blue glow of nuclear reactors, the stark gray of concrete fallout shelters, the lurid greens of money, the pale white of an exhausted face.

Through this exploration, the exhibition reveals the subtle energy flows essential for comprehending the complex interplay of forces that shape our society today. It seeks to deepen our awareness of how intricately energy is embedded in the cultural and political fabric of Europe and beyond.

VCT STATEMENT ENERGY: The Color of Energy
Co-Produced with Salzburger Kunstverein

Curated by: Mirela Baciak
Curatorial Project Assistant: Erka Shalari

Chapter I: The Color of Energy: Sara Bezovšek, Liv Bugge, Judith Fegerl, Veronika Hapchenko, Katrin Hornek, Sophie Jung, Linda Lach, Ursula Mayer, Shubigi Rao, Guan Xiao | viennacontemporary, 12–15 September 2024

Chapter II: The Color of Energy: Bertille Bak, Sophie Jung, Edson Luli, Ursula Mayer, Oleksiy Radynski, Shubigi Rao, Emilija Škarnulytė, Guan Xiao | Salzburger Kunstverein, 21 September–24 November 2024

With the kind support of ERSTE Foundation.

Supported by Trampoline, Association in Support of the French Art Scene, Paris.

Image: Shubigi Rao, Linear AyB, 2023, videostill, courtesy of the artist.