Solar reality: Artist simulates Nevada energy plant in New York

Displayed on an LED wall measuring 24 by 28 feet, the installation, entitled Solar Reserve (Tonopah, Nevada) 2014, at first glance could be mistaken for a live video feed of a solar plant located somewhere in the desert. The image is indeed based on a real energy plant, but is generated through entirely virtual means using video game engine technology.

The installation depicts a ‘solar thermal power tower’ that harnesses the light of thousands of mirrors, all reflecting back to a central point. The perspective on the plant will shift every 60 minutes from a ground-level view to an image seen as if by satellite. The movements of the virtual sun, moon and stars will mirror actual conditions in Nevada.

The installation recalls the increasingly immersive nature of virtual renderings as profiled in LS:N Global’s Online Escapism microtrend. But here, rather than channelling surrealism, virtual reality is used to create an almost photorealistic world.