Switch today and support contemporary art through your utility bill!
Kunststrom was founded by artist Pablo Wendel in 2012 as a non-profit CO2 Negative energy provider on the German national grid, which generates energy from art installations, using renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and wood gas. Currently, Kunststrom supplies energy to cultural institutions, businesses and private households across Germany. As a non-profit, all income from energy sales is redirected into Kunststrom production and the contemporary art programme at E-WERK Luckenwalde (EW). By switching your energy provider to Kunststrom, you are simultaneously supporting the transition to a green future and contemporary art through your utility bill.
The Power of Art
The idea of Kunststrom was born out of financial desperation. In 2012, Pablo Wendel was working as an artist, exhibiting internationally, but not being paid adequately, and thus unable to pay his own bills. This false economy of culture in exchange for opportunity, which is so prevalent in the art world, proved unsustainable. In an endeavour towards autonomy, Wendel decided to produce and sell his own art power (Kunststrom). However, this idea was more than just an endeavour to survive, it was an aspiration to pioneer alternative economic and ecological structures and take action against the climate emergency. Wendel immediately recognised the potential of electricity as an art form to affect society, and saw Kunststrom as the perfect vehicle to enact widespread change through the power of art.
We hope to inspire others to connect to the Kunststrom circuit, contribute to the decentralisation of power and transition to a renewable future.
Kunststrom works in collaboration with Bürgerwerke to distribute energy to the German national grid. Bürgerwerke is an association of more than 40,000 citizens and 99 local energy communities from all over Germany. Together they supply people nationwide with renewable electricity from solar, wind and water power. Once you have decided to switch to Kunststrom, Bürgerwerke will facilitate the process and you will enter into a new energy contract.
How to switch to Kunststrom
Follow these 6 simple steps to switch your energy provider to Kunststrom in collaboration with Bürgerwerke!
1. Collect your information including current energy provider details
2. Get a quote at the calculator below
3. Choose your switching process to be online or by post
4. Enter current energy provider details and the name of the contact person
5. Provide your billing address and contact details
6. Proceed to payment details and switch today!
FAQs
“We are a waste society. It’s all about obsolescence, all about throwing things away. It’s about producing things to die so that we can sell new things. That’s sick. That’s capitalism. It could be different.” (Pablo Wendel, 2019)
Is Kunststrom available outside Germany?
Currently, Kunststrom is only available to residents of Germany, but we hope to soon cross borders with our energy!
Is Kunststrom more expensive than other energy providers?
By working with Bürgerwerke, we are able to make Kunststrom available at roughly the same tariff as other electricity providers. While we can’t make the promise of being the cheapest, we can reassure you that you are 100% investing your money in the energy which supports culture and sustainability the most. As a non-profit, there are no external stakeholders.
Doesn’t burning wood produce CO2?
Wood gasification is a process whereby organic material is converted into a combustible gas under the influence of heat. E-WERK uses waste locally sourced spruce wood chips from the natural forests in Brandenburg. To fully close the circuit, the charcoal remains are used as artistic pigments or as a terra preta method to rebuild soil. We hereby capture the CO2 and form a circular process that leads to a CO2 negative balance.
Can I see Kunststrom being made?
E-WERK Luckenwalde is open by appointment throughout the year for tours of the Kunststrom process. Email info@kunststrom.com to book.
Can I support in other ways?
You can attend our events, promote our cause by word of mouth, purchase a Kunststrom souvenir via our shop or donated through our website.
Is wood gas a solution for the global energy transformation?
While the process of wood-gas is compatible with E-WERK, due to its status as a listed building and proximity to Brandenburg forests (struggling with monoculture) the option to scale this process up to a singular nationwide solution is not a solution to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Nevertheless, woodgas as a building block in the heat and energy transformation should be a relevant factor.
Kunststrom clientele includes:
Tomas Saraceno Studio
Chert Luedde Gallery
Haverkampf Gallery
