Dutch artist-inventor Ap Verheggen is leading a workshop and warm-up session in our EJWP New Waves Festival online in the afternoon of Thursday 22 April. The workshop entitled ‘Hands and Minds Together’ will feature EJWP participants developing inspired concepts from Ap, who is also an EJWP Team member.
Ap is the creative director of the SunGlacier project, which generates water from maximised condensation of air using solar and other energy. SunGlacier began as an art-meets-science project, and now holds real world applications by producing potable water from air nearly anywhere on the planet, even in hot and dry deserts. In an upcoming demonstration, Ap is building a solar-powered rain shower out of desert air that will run for a half year in the Dubai Expo 2020 starting in October.
Ap shared thoughts on his inspirations and methods with EJWP:
‘We are seeing an overwhelming speed of climate impacts, more than a temperature increase but a natural rage of forces. We have to create a new type of innovative society to maintain and adapt, because there is no other way to exist in this new world, and water is at the center of many of our problems and opportunities. Climate Change = Culture Change! There can be positive aspects to this because it creates new opportunities for the future. We must focus on young talent to create this new society, because they will be challenged by climate impacts much more than us. It’s their future.
Too many ideas from young people are ignored by organizations in the water sector. Some things may have worked in the past, but now were in a fast-changing future. It’s so important what EJWP is doing with young professionals, by providing a reflection and testing place for ideas, much more than they can do in their daily jobs.
For our workshop in the New Waves Festival, I’m going with the very true concept that the time you can work on new solutions is limited, and this urgency can be a motivational part of the creative process. They will need to work together in taking decisions quickly, which may be a new world for them. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do!
Click here for the full online event programme
You have to go for it if you believe in an idea, because what seems impossible is often very possible. It’s more than a matter of time and money, but persistence of going through some rough valleys to get to the solutions we all need. I believe everybody can be a hero. We need to drive our young generations to developing solutions even way beyond borders they previously imagined. This inspires me – and I want to channel this inspiration where it can impact the most.
I can’t give away too much about what I’ll do in the EJWP festival; people will need to join us there to experience it. I’ll brief them the magic we created in the SunGlacier project is the result of an innovative ideas with a lot of dedication. I want these young people to understand this and not to underestimate their own abilities in being a hero. I will say that I’m going to present something, and then harvest their ideas: What would you do with this?
I want theses bright young people to inspire me! There are a lot of paths that can lead to something special, and I want to support their plan to get there.’
More about Ap at: https://juniorwaterprogramme.eu/team-members/ap-verheggen/
