1-Stroke Sugar Motor

Stranded in the middle of a flood zone, we found ourselves huddled around 5 gas heaters set up under our working tent. Jackets, shoes, and socks were placed on and around the heaters as, one by one, the gas ran out. 

‘1-stroke Sugar Motor’ questions how it is possible to create heat, and eventually soil, from the byproducts and readily sourced materials found in the city. Fuelled by sugar, a compacted single cylinder uses a series of composting layers including fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings, fallen leaves, dead plant matter, and sawdust. An exothermic reaction happens over time as microbes decompose the layers to form a nutrient rich soil like material, yielding temperatures that can reach up to 70°C.

Type: Installation
with Felix Mohr
supported by Constant
Location: SeeU, Brussels (BE)
Status: Realised