A detail image of Current, an installation by Adam Frank.
An image of Current, an installation by Adam Frank, as it appears installed at Center House in Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Commissioned by Seattle City Light and The City of Seattle
Seattle WA, 2012

CURRENT is a 50 foot map of Seattle’s hydroelectricity generation and power use. As Seattle generates electricity through their dams, currents of light flow into the projected map of the City. The light drops flow through Seattle’s distribution lines and are consumed. The amount of drops consumed by a particular area reflects the power usage of that area at that moment. This unique work of light makes people viscerally aware of how much energy is being used by their neighborhoods and being generated by Seattle. At the same time, CURRENT makes the vital relationship between water and electricity directly perceptible.

CURRENT was made by Adam Frank in his role as the Seattle City Light Conservation & Sustainability Artist-in Residence.