British artists and TV show snow-carving instructors help Icehotel in Swedish Lapland celebrate 35 years
Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, the world-renowned hotel made entirely of ice and snow, is celebrating its 35th anniversary this winter with a breathtaking display of artistic creations. The selection process for the international design competition is complete and among the 27 talented artists from 13 countries that have been chosen to bring their visions to life in Icehotel 35 are Lisa Lindqvist and the UK´s Kate Munro, who will be creating the Ceremony Hall, and Rob Harding from the UK with Timsam Harding, with their art suite ´Change Though Time´.
Lisa Lindqvist & Kate Munro. Photo: Asaf Kliger
From a colossal rhinoceros unexpectedly finding its way into a guest room to a mesmerizing bird's nest sculpted from ice and snow, the art suites, the Main Hall, and the Ceremony Hall promise to provide visitors with unforgettable experiences. Drawing inspiration from the rich Sami craft tradition and paying homage to the ancient goddess Gaia, the art in Icehotel 35 is set to captivate the imagination of guests when it opens on December 13th 2024.
Celebrate 35 with surprises and a new ice bar
Every winter, when the snow covers the small village of Jukkasjärvi in the north of Sweden, the artists together with the construction team, ice production, art support, and a lighting team, start the creation of the 2,800-square-meter seasonal hotel made entirely of snow and ice. The river’s ice transforms into unique artworks, that only live for the season, and then return to water when Icehotel melts in the spring.
Marie Herrey, CEO of Icehotel, shared her anticipation for the upcoming season, saying:
"I look forward to stepping into Icehotel 35 and showing the world what I believe will be a spectacular version of Icehotel. In addition to fantastic art, we will celebrate our 35 years with some surprises in and around the Icehotel, and also create a completely new theme at the Icebar in the permanent part of Icehotel."
ART AND ARTISTS ICEHOTEL 35
Icehotel 35: 12 Art Suites, 1 main hall, 1 ceremony hall
Ceremony Hall: Gaia's Bloom
Lisa Lindqvist & Kate Munro, UK
Change Through Time
Rob Harding, UK & Timsam Harding, Spain
Under the Arctic Skin (2016) - by Rob Harding and Timsam Harding. Photo: Asaf Kliger
Lisa Lindqvist explains the inspiration behind their abundant plans for the Ceremonial Hall.
Our inspiration for this Ceremonial Hall is really to create the most abundant, joyous, life-affirming explosion of beautiful, sculpted flowers and forms. We are so very excited to be given this opportunity to hand sculpt on such a giant scale. Our design is an entire wall created from a mixture of snow and ice which forms a semi-symmetrical bouquet of blooms. The flowers and leaves extend into the room along the two adjoining walls and frame an ice altar and font.
Gaia is the ultimate Mother Earth Goddess, and we thought it would be a fitting title to name our Room Gaia's Bloom. Flowers are such a beautiful symbol of the transience of life... the fleeting moment of perfection and bounty. The celebration of these divine jewels of the earth will make such an inspiring backdrop for the seminal moments that take place within a ceremonial hall: The marriages and baptisms, services, gatherings and choirs.
It´s not the first time Lisa has used her creativity at IceHotel, she explains. “I first came to the Icehotel in 2016 and made a room on my own called 'Sleeping Inside a Thought' then again on my own with 'Wandering Cloud ' in 2017 and 2018 collaborating with Ulrika Tallving with 'Flock'.”
ICEHOTEL 29 | Art Suite Flock | Design Lisa Lindqvist & Ulrika Tallving | Photo Asaf Kliger | © ICEHOTEL (Download)
Did you know Kate before your submission to the 35th Anniversary IceHotel? “In 2023 Kate and I collaborated on our room 'Light Collectors' before joining forces again for our Design for #35.”
“We have worked together in many snow and Ice events since 1992 when we competed in the Kiruna Snow Festival in Lapland. We are old friends from Wimbledon Art College (we both have Sculpture degrees) and we were also fortunate to be selected as 'Snow Carving Instructors' for celebrities in the Ch4 TV show 'The Greatest Snowman'” Explains Lisa.
How do you feel about taking on a room the size of the Ceremonial Hall? “This Ceremonial Hall will be our most ambitious project to date and we feel very honoured to have been selected. Ever since I visited the early Icehotel in the 1990's I have wanted to create the Ceremonial Hall. It's such a different space to the rooms at the hotel as it has to have a feeling of reverence and awe. People will be using this room for some of the most important moments of their lives, and we need to make sure they will feel elevated and inspired.”
“The Icehotel is such a unique place, and I have seen it grow over the years, but it has always retained such a strong artistic vision. It's completely one of a kind and the landscape around it is simply breathtaking. Having this as our workplace for a few weeks is a real joy and being part of the vision is a privilege. It's great working with lighting, construction, and the support team to help the design come to life.”
You sound quite attached to Swedish Lapland. Do you have any tips for future visitors? “Lapland is especially close to my heart as my mother was born in Tullovaara near the Icehotel and I first visited the area with her when i was 16. There's a beautiful train journey we took through the mountains to Narvik in Norway all along a fjord. That's the activity I try to repeat whenever I return to Lapland. I also love taking a little time to really be in nature... just looking at the ever-changing sky and feeling the power of Mother Earth. Last year we were treated to a wilderness dinner in the woods... lit by candles, that was lovely. There's an 'ancient' feel that you get in Lapland... perhaps because it's an untouched wilderness still.”
Kate Munro, how do you feel about this winter´s project?
“We're really excited and feel incredibly lucky to have been selected for this amazing space.”
“I think Lisa has said it all perfectly. All I would like to add is the incredible experience of sculpting snow and ice. Despite having worked in snow for a great many years, it was at the Icehotel last year that I began to understand more deeply the intrinsic nature of these materials, how they're different depending on temperature, and the endless possibilities of how they can be sculpted, joined, combined and lit. I love how it ultimately ends up as water flowing back into the river - there's something so lovely about the idea of not adding anything permanent to the world.“
What are you most looking forward to this year, Kate? “I'm very excited for the chance to carve this explosion of abundance. The forms will be so absorbing to make, and I can't wait to combine the different qualities of snow and ice and bring it all alive with lighting. It feels a real privilege to be allowed to create the space where people's meaningful ceremonies will take place, and we hope we fill it with love, positivity and joy.”
And what´s so special for you about Swedish Lapland? “I can't wait to be back in Lapland. For me, there is a real sense of being on top of the world, and the incredible qualities of light and space there are truly epic.”
ABOUT ICEHOTEL
Icehotel opened in 1989 and is besides a hotel also an art exhibition with ever-changing art made out of ice and snow. ICEHOTEL is created in a new guise every winter, made completely from natural ice from the Torne River - one of Sweden's national rivers and last untouched waters. When the winter season's hotel has melted back to the river in the spring, a part of the hotel remains so that visitors can experience the ice and snow year-round.
PRICES
Winter 24-25
Lead in price for a cold room for two people SEK 4,000
Lead in price ordinary hotel room (warm room) or cabin 2500 SEK
A booking at IceHotel always includes the following:
• Breakfast
• Entrance to Icehotel Winter and Icehotel 365
• Loan of warm outerwear (shoes, overalls, mittens and a balaclava)
FACTS ABOUT ICEHOTEL
44 warm hotel rooms
30 warm chalets
18 art and design suites made of ice (-5 degrees Celsius/23 F) open year round
36 art suites and ice rooms made of ice (-5 degrees Celsius/23 F) open every winter
1 accessibility adapted art suite made of ice (-5 degrees Celsius/23 F)
3 meeting rooms
1 ceremony hall made from ice and snow (in the winter hotel, open mid-December to mid-April)
1 movie theatre made of ice and snow, open year-round
1 exhibition room made from ice and snow
1 ice bar
3 restaurants
5 wilderness camps
Web: www.icehotel.com
Press Images: Visit the IceHotel press page for pictures and more press information, along with Imagebank Sweden.
Visit Sweden
Visit Sweden has an official assignment from the Swedish government to market Sweden as a destination. Our vision is that Sweden by 2030 is the world's most sustainable and attractive destination built on innovation. Now more than ever, purposeful travel needs to be meaningful, conscious and creating lasting value with regard to our guests, the local community and our planet.
Welcome to Sweden, a destination of a different nature.
https://corporate.visitsweden.com/om-oss/en/
Tags: