Solarpunk - A Story of Sand and Energy exhibition 2025
Good evening!
I am truly excited to be surrounded by so much imagination tonight. On behalf of the European Union Delegation to Namibia, I am delighted to join you in celebrating the Opening of Solarpunk – A Story of Sand and Energy.
This exhibition is part of the EU and our MS support to Namibia’s Creative Industry, implemented by the EUNIC Cluster Namibia, led by Goethe-Institut, together with our Member State partners and the Project Room.
The European Union strongly believes in the power of art to connect people across borders to spark collaboration, understanding, and shared creativity. But what truly matters is not only the exchange of ideas, but the momentum those ideas can create for positive change.
This is why the theme of Solarpunk resonates so deeply with us. It invites us to imagine a future where humanity, technology, and nature work together in harmony. It challenges us to see creativity as a force for sustainability and hope, envisioning cities that breathe, communities that share, and energy that flows without end.
Here in Namibia, where the desert meets the boundless stars in the sky, and the deep blue ocean of the Atlantic, the themes of sand and energy are not abstract, but lived realities.
Here, the Solarpunk movement challenges us to be radical optimists. To reject dystopian and pessimistic world views that want us to be apathetic and encourage inaction. Hope is what enables us to dream and build. If you can envision a better future, you are more likely to want to contribute to making that future a reality. To hope is the greatest gift we can give our children.
I would like to thank the EUNIC Cluster Namibia and its partners the Goethe-Institute, FNCC, Club Italiano, Camões, the Spanish and Finnish Embassies, our EU Delegation team, the Project Room and of course the artists Vitjitua Ndjiharine and Rocío Asensi for bringing this vision to life for us today.
The EU flag’s 12 stars symbolise unity, solidarity and harmony: values that also shine at the heart of solarpunk. They remind us that imagination is not an escape from reality, it is the first step towards changing it for the better.
I invite all of us to imagine today, to look through the coloured glass into the visions of solarpunk, and see the future we wish to create together.
Thank you.
EUNIC