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Man Builds Awesome Techno-Art Igloo, Doesn't Address Rent

by Warren Riddle on November 16, 2010 at 12:15 PM

stromfresser
Technology and art have shared an intertwining and established relationship for over a century. Occasionally, uniquely intriguing pieces stand out from the monotonous crowd, and two German artists recently produced a particularly wondrous monument to technology. Well, perhaps it's more like an effigy or a funeral pyre -- without the blazing inferno.

Created by Ralf Schmerberg and Esa Ott, the 'Stromfresser' comprises two distinct pieces: Schmerberg's towering igloo, composed entirely of refrigerators, and Ott's internal "tower of consumption." Schmerberg constructed the 'Stromfresser,' or literally "Power Eater," igloo with exactly 312 refrigerators. According to AOL News, the "tower of consumption" consists of "gadgets such as fans, TVs and toasters" that are "all plugged in and draining electricity." And, just to keep up with the electrical waste, a power meter actually measures the installation's consumption.

Discussing his inspiration, Schmerberg told AOL, "We are playing with this fetish that we think we have a better life if we use better electronic devices -- it's totally bull****." Well, actually Ralf, if we lived in that thing -- and if you were to replace a few of the existing refrigerators with a tricked-out kegerator fridge, an HDTV fridge and a robotic boombox fridge -- life would be pretty dang sweet.

Tags: art, energy, EnergyConservation, EnergyConsumption, EsaOtt, green, household, installation, PublicArt, RalfSchmerberg, refrigerator, stromfresser, top

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