Tomàs Saraceno's Solar Balloon Flight in Argentina Precedes Florence Retrospective
On January 28, 2020, Argentine artist Tomàs Saraceno launched a hot air balloon powered solely by wind and solar energy over the Salinas Grandes salt flats in Jujuy, Argentina. The one-hour flight was livestreamed and remains available on YouTube. Saraceno, born in 1973, is known for his ecological activism and his Aerocene project, which imagines a new ecological era free from carbon emissions and particulate pollution. The balloon flight is part of his broader practice exploring sustainable alternatives. Starting February 22, 2020, Palazzo Strozzi in Florence will host a major retrospective of Saraceno's work, including the installation Thermodynamic Constellation, designed specifically for the museum's courtyard. The exhibition will feature his ongoing investigations into environmental issues and human interaction with the atmosphere.
Key facts
- Tomàs Saraceno flew a solar- and wind-powered balloon over Salinas Grandes, Argentina, on January 28, 2020
- The flight lasted one hour and was livestreamed on YouTube
- Saraceno's Aerocene project envisions a carbon-free ecological era
- A retrospective of Saraceno's work opens February 22, 2020 at Palazzo Strozzi, Florence
- The exhibition includes the installation Thermodynamic Constellation in the courtyard
- Saraceno is an Argentine artist born in 1973
- The balloon used only wind and solar energy, no fossil fuels
- The flight took place in the desert-like Salinas Grandes of Jujuy, Argentina
Entities
Artists
- Tomàs Saraceno
Institutions
- Palazzo Strozzi
- Artribune
Locations
- Salinas Grandes
- Jujuy
- Argentina
- Florence
- Italy