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ON SOLARPUNK AND RADICAL OPTIMISM
September 27 2023
BY IZZY LI KOSTRZEWA
Solarpunk is a speculative fiction and also arts, and political, and cultural movement that envisions a future where renewable energy, sustainability, and nature-inspired designs shape society. Similar to steam punk or cyper punk in its aestetic world building, but different because it offers an optimistic and hopeful vision of the future, but is also very much rooted in reality. It’s storytelling of this future through art but its also the very real every day actions, ideas, and designs that move us closer to there. It’s basically awesome.
It emphasizes decentralized and community-based renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro power. The movement promotes sustainable living practices, green urban spaces, and regenerative agriculture, aiming to create harmonious relationships between humans and nature.
At its core, solarpunk embraces the idea of a world where humans and the Earth live in balance. We have to get there in a million different ways, so its about how you as an individual can contribute with your own passion and expertise. For me that looks like making clothes in small batches, with waste materials, and zero waste patterns, working with family factories and local sewists that I see and interact with and know are getting paid well, creating new buisness systems that arent based on corperate support, advocating for new design ideas that generate value and love in peoples lives, that folks really care about and arent fleeting trends.
Its about making the plans and little steps to make this brand as radical as possible in all the little details and also the grand scheme of it. Like the overarching idea of selling clothes, is that even solarpunk? Maybe its a lot more solarpunk to give away tutorials and just teach everyone how to do it themselves. I really value sharing everything I have learned, making patterns to sew my designs available for those who have the skills but would prefer to make the pieces themselves with their own fabric, and advocating for upcycling and buying no new clothes!
So is it true? Is it really easier to imagine the end of the world before the end of capitolism? I really just want to be part of a movement twards the storytelling of a different future. A future where fashion is full of life and love and happiness and expression. Where we dont take advantage of people in the process, or the Earth, or animals. I believe can do it, or at least I want to believe, so I do, and tbh it feels awesome...
Solarpunk extends beyond the environmental aspects and also includes social and cultural dimensions. It envisions equitable societies with social justice, inclusivity, and participatory decision-making processes. Solarpunk narratives often explore themes such as cooperative economies, localized production, open-source technologies, and alternative forms of governance.
It's important to note that solarpunk is a growing and evolving movement, with various interpretations and perspectives. While it offers an inspiring vision of the future, its practical implementation and realization are subject to ongoing exploration and experimentation.
What art is solarpunk? Is the act of making art solarpunk in itself? Perhaps when the goals are to share the passion and truth of your soul with others, without monitary gain, yes! Some music I believe to be inheirently solarpunk is music made about enjoying the Earths natural gifts, music inspired directly from nature, music centering diverse experiences like that of indigenous rapper Xiuhtezcatl, and music with honest and authetic writing on the human experience. Lorde a (what is currently called) New Zeleaned based pop icon has also released music in the indigenous Maori language of the reigon, which is solarpunk af.
In terms of aesthetics its still being evaluated and built up. This is a quite new aestetic world we’re making and contrary to other genres, its very much also rooted in reality! Currently solarpunk draws inspiration from natural elements, combining them with advanced technologies. The visual style embraces vibrant colors, lush greenery, organic shapes, and biomimicry. What does solarpunk fashion look like? Perhaps a fusion of traditional craftsmanship and found materials, of genderfree ideas, adjustability designed into the pieces, experimental shapes but clothes you could still garden or bike in!
It’s about restoring indigenous practice and worldviews! Its NOT about putting money over people! Its about loving your neighbor, and forgiveness, and most of all working to make things better!
More Resources:
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https://earth.org/solarpunk/
- https://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/
- https://www.thevenusproject.com/
- https://thedorkweb.substack.com/p/towards-a-solarpunk-future
- https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/
- https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/positions/191258/is-ornamenting-solar-panels-a-crime/
- https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Solarpunk
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