Solar Egg: Reflections in Minneapolis

The installation by ASI by two Swedish artists offers an opportunity for a sauna session in the institute's courtyard. 

  • With a heart-shaped wood stove at its core the egg accommodates up to eight people at once.
  • The 5-meter-tall golden egg that is also a functional sauna will take residence in ASI’s outdoor courtyard from March 6 to April 28. The piece, titled Solar Egg, was created by two of Sweden’s most notable international climate-inspired artists, Mats Bigert and Lars Bergström, and has been standing near Kiruna, Sweden. It is a symbol of new beginnings in the northern mining town that is in the process of moving – literally– a couple kilometers away so the mining company can extract more of the iron currently beneath the town. The installation reflects its surroundings and also acts as a chamber for the exchange of ideas. Solar Egg is made of wood and covered in a stainless golden mirror surface whose many facets reflect its surroundings.

  • Developed by art duo Bigert & Bergstrom, the shape of the golden, solar-powered, egg symbolizes rebirth. Photo: Jean-Baptiste Béranger
  • Inside is a wood-fired, heart-shaped sauna stove made of iron and stone – and yes, visitors can book sauna appointments during the exhibition period. For more info on booking your sauna session and the American Swedish Institute, call 612.871.4907, email info@asimn.org or see www.asimn.org