STROMFRESSER

Fuelled by the premise that in Germany 40% of energy is unused and wasted through old white goods, Ralf Schmerberg and Entega conceived STROMFRESSER, a walk-in art installation to draw attention to the way in which energy is wasted on a daily basis. A giant igloo built from 322 old but functioning refrigerators was erected on the Gänsemarkt in the center of Hamburg. The inside – heated by the heat loss of the refrigerators – allowed the visitors to physically experience the enormous potential of the energy created and wasted by kitchen appliances. The dark and shrine-like interior was inhabited by a colorfully lit altar by artist Isabel Ott constructed from various electric appliances and served as a powerful reminder to the wasteful energy consumption of modern-day society.

The project was part of a series of interventions in the public sphere conceived by Ralf Schmerberg in collaboration with the Mindpirates collective and enabled by Entega, distributor of sustainable energy.