Clean Energy is a special project developed for the Mayak Academy within the framework of the First International Biennale of Environ­mental Art. Bringing together kinetic sculp­ture, light installation, painting, and video art by artists of different generations, the exhi­bition explored how major scientific break­ throughs — whether in the mid­-twentieth century or today — continue to inspire artistic practice, offering new tools and expanding the thematic horizons of contemporary art.

The works of Vyacheslav Koleichuk reflect Soviet techno­optimism, a drive toward inter­disciplinarity, and the search for a new visual language rooted in abstract imagery. For Sergey Filatov, the intersection of art and science serves as a platform for experimenta­tion aimed at creating unique sonic and visual experiences for viewers.

Some artists draw inspiration from process­es unfolding within living and non living nature. Daniel Zakh, for instance, translates surround­ing objects and phenomena into the language of programming. He records the movement of tides, the pulse of sunlight, gusts of wind, and the sounds of nature, and then renders them as visual forms. Andrey Berger maps various characteristics of the Earth, such as wind directions, cardinal points, and syncretic images of natural elements and astronomical bodies.

Several projects were created in collaboration with scientists and are dedicated to the search for alternative energy sources. Sasha Shchos and Darya Grigorash present the potential of generating electricity using microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which in turn opens the possibility of harvesting energy from wastewater. Stain investigates the idea of atomic recycling that transforms discarded material items into new objects.

Despite significant technological progress of recent decades, people continue to turn to esoteric practices. Quantum physics itself in­corporates ideas and concepts from the realm of philosophy that underscore how much remains unknown — about ourselves and about a world in constant flux. The works of Darya Pravda and Anatoly Akue engage with the search for grounding, while also explor­ing the mystification of knowledge and looking into alternative systems for understanding reality.

The exhibition brought together artistic, imaginative, and scientific approaches, meta­phor and empirical knowledge, present reality and speculative vision, inviting viewers to reflect on how energy can be used today and to imagine what its future might be.