Exhibition Design | Social Equity | Off-Grid Energy
This exhibition explored Little Sun, the solar-powered light designed by Olafur Eliassen and Frederk Otteson to bring safe, sustainable illumination to communities without reliable access to electricity. With access to hundreds of Little Suns, TRACE Design Group embraced repetition and scale, transforming the museum’s windows into a glowing demonstration of solar power in action. Charged by day, the lights illuminated Cambridge sidewalks at night- quietly proving the promise of off-grid energy.
Inside the gallery, deconstructed Little Suns invited close study, while case studies and stories grounded the work in real-world impact. A weekend MIT Hackathon activated the exhibition further, inviting students to examine, question, and reimagine the design. Bright fields of signature yellow unified the space, creating an experience that was optimistic, participatory, and deeply human.
