Press Release August 21, 2018
Northern Sweden has had the warmest summer in many years, but soon the first snow will fall. When it does, the seasonal part of Icehotel will be created and 33 artists from 13 countries arrive in Jukkasjärvi. Together with the art & support team, building team and light team they create this season’s art suites in the 29th rendition of Icehotel. Now the suites that are being created are presented.
Art inspired by nature
Get a good night’s sleep in a candy shop filled with sweets, settle down in a suite with a swimming ice woman with a love for cold baths, and fall asleep in an aquarium, watched by a huge cat. These are three of the design proposals that wait for the guests on December 14 when Icehotel opens the seasonal part of the hotel.
This year’s art suites are being inspired a great deal by nature. In the suite “Spruce Woods” by Christopher Pancoe and Jennie O’Keefe from Canada, the guests can sit down around the fire (of ice) in a camping site in the forest, and then sleep on a bed of ice. Jonathan Paul Green from England creates “The Living Ocean Suite” together with his daughter Marnie Green, the suite is an underwater world filled with corals, shells and fish to marvel at.
– The suite is inspired by the climate changes and the overfishing that affects our oceans. I also thought the idea of using frozen water from a river in northern Sweden to create an ocean with shells, fish and corals is exciting, says Jonathan Paul Green.
Jonas Johansson, Jordi Claramunt and Lukas Petko from Sweden, Spain and Slovakia create the suite “Haven” in which a magical portal of ice is being guarded by the Phoenix. The legend says only the pure hearted may enter a room where time is infinite and life eternal.
– We are inspired by the meeting between people and want to create an experience that invites curiosity, creativity and collaboration. It feels like a dream to get to work with ice that allows our love for light, shine and reflection to wander free from thought to creation, says Jonas Johansson.
Art symposium with artists from all over the world in Jukkasjärvi
15 artist teams were chosen from around 150 applications by a jury made up of Senior Adviser at Icehotel and leader of the jury, Arne Bergh, Art & Support manager Luca Roncoroni, light designer Olof Lange, Johan Larsson who works with the ice production, designer and artist Marjolein Vonk, amongst others. The contributions came from all over the world, Sweden, USA, India, Canada, Mexico and New Zeeland, to name a few.
– It was a challenge for the jury to choose the 15 winning designs for the 29th rendition of Icehotel. But we are very happy with our selection and this winter, Icehotel’s guests can enter an amazing wonderland; and explore everything from the deep sea to forests and incredible skies. The guests will experience a fantastic light and get lost between sculptures and installations, says the jury.
Sustainable ice experience year-round
Each year, Icehotel is visited by around 50,000 guests from all over the world each year, about 50 wedding couples get married amongst ice and snow and many are the guests that have tasted the bespoke ice menu at Icehotel Restaurant, which serves a five-course menu on plates made out of ice, straight from Torne River. Beside the seasonal part, an ice and snow experience with 20 rooms and ice bar is available in Jukkasjärvi year-round since 2016, and each year a huge part of the hotel is rebuilt.
Building the seasonal hotel demands a massive amount of work, which starts in March when 5,000 tons of ice is harvested from Torne River. The ice is then stored cold until October every year when the building of Icehotel starts. A couple of weeks before the opening, 33 artists from 13 different countries arrive in Jukkasjärvi to sculpt 15 unique suites of ice and snow, one ice ceremony hall for weddings and ceremonies and one pillar hall. A building team, the ice production, art support and a lightning team work together with the artists in the building of Icehotel, and create an additional 20 ice rooms. The seasonal part of Icehotel opens December 14.
Welcome to visit!