The seasonal part of the Icehotel will soon melt back into its source, the Torne River, and the ice harvest is in full swing, with massive ice blocks being gathered for next winter's build.
Artists wanting to create a suite in the 29th version of Icehotel have until 5 May to apply.
Icehotel is described as being more than a hotel with rooms and beds – “it is an ephemeral art project made of ice and snow from Torne River”. By tradition, the actual making of the hotel is an art forum, whereby the selected suite designers gather in Jukkasjärvi to use the ice and snow as a canvas for their art. Each room is an original piece of art, that melts and returns to Mother Nature in spring.
“Thoughtful, crazy, innovative, creative or beautiful – there are no rules for how the suites should look,” said the owners. “The only requirement is that they must be original designs and include a bed – and everything has to be made from ice and snow.”
Above: design by AnnaSofia Mååg & Niklas Byman, photo Asaf Kliger.
“Ice has an interesting effect on creativity,” said Arne Bergh, an artist and creative advisor at Icehotel. “Since it’s not a permanent material, people aren’t afraid of trying ideas they otherwise wouldn’t dare to test. It doesn’t matter if you have worked with ice and snow before – just submit your application. If you’re selected, Icehotel will show you and your fellow artists some basics about the material and the tools. The artist teams are responsible for completing their suites at Icehotel, but there is also a support team that can advise you on design and construction and a lighting team to assist you with the lighting of your suite.”
A jury assesses the applications based on concept, innovativeness, visualization and description. The selected artists will be invited to Jukkasjärvi for two weeks in November-December.
Above: design by Rob Harding and Timsam Harding, photo Asaf Kliger.
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