The 2 Minute Interview

Felix Hallwachs is an incredibly likeable and charismatic person. And he is also an architect and the managing director of Little Sun, the small solar lamp meant to bring light to all the places without a consistent energy supply. The driving force behind this social business is the über-artist Olafur Eliassion and the company is located in Germany’s beautiful capital Berlin. Great job, great company, a whole lot of meaning and the perfect place – what else could you ask for? The simple things, of course. Because happiness lies within us, as we were allowed to find out. Thank you, dear Felix.

Name: Felix Hallwachs
Age: 39
Home: Berlin
Profession: Architect
Shoe size: 45
Favourite month: April
Contact: www.littlesun.com

If you could change the world over night, where would you start?
By bringing global compassion and togetherness forward – when we all start developing our similarities instead of cultivating our differences, the world will surely be a better place.

Can Little Sun save the world?
We believe so – but we probably can’t do it all alone. Saving the world takes a global community. We don’t just produce solar products, we try to connect people worldwide. By underlining similarities instead of differences, we hope to narrow the emotional gap between global north and global south.

What do you do on cloudy days?
I look for sunlight between the clouds. And I use yesterday’s sun – that’s the great thing about solar lamps…

An encounter you’ll never forget:
Definitely the first encounter with my son, who was born last year.

Tell us about a magical place!
The best magical place is found within ourselves.

What have you been wanting to do for ages but never get around to?
Thousands of things – which leads me to not always achieving to do the things I actually set out to do.

What are you impressed by?
People who manage to achieve everything they set out to do (but only if they set out to do a lot). Pretty much everything done with zeal, energy and enthusiasm.

The world in the year 2100 is…
Hopefully a little lighter, cleaner and more peaceful than today.

Which piece of art would you like to own?
That’s a long list! Although most of the pieces in our house are from friends or acquaintances – I only knew I wanted to have them when I saw them in the studio or gallery…

What would you cook for us if we came to visit you?
Probably something suitable for babies, healthy and not very spicy – my son just turned one and is slowly trying anything kitchen-related.

What are you afraid of?
Something happening to my nearest and dearest. And climate change. And all the conflicts in the world. And the current populism in politics – that definitely belongs on the list, unfortunately.

When was last time you tried something new and what was it?
Little Sun is still a project where we are breaking new ground on most days. So it’s easier to ask myself when I will actually do something familiar again. And it’s not much different in private with a baby. A wonderful adventure.

What should no one know about you?
You won’t find that out here…

What question should we have asked?
How can we make the world a better place together? And how do we get more people to believe in the power of renewable energy and to actually change their habits?

Last words:
Solar love for everyone!

Photo: Claus Morgenstern