Installations
The Forest Suite
ice and snow - approx. 15' x 15' x 24'
The IceHotel, Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
Located 200 km north of the Arctic circle in Lapland, Sweden, the IceHotel is a 6000-square-meter hotel built entirely of ice and snow. Each year, artists are commissioned to design and build the premier hotel suites, which become an art exhibition by day and guest rooms at night.
The Forest Suite is a celebration of the lofty pine and spruce forests that characterize the landscape of northern Sweden. Columns of ice display an etched illustration of towering trees spreading out across a wide, snow-covered horizon. Internal lighting gives the columns an ethereal glow, like a view through cathedral windows. On the opposite side, containing the bed platform, a placid lake of blue ice provides a serene place from which to contemplate the view.
This installation makes a connection between the enclosed interior space of the suite, and the expansive exterior landscape that stretches out beyond its walls. It is a space where visitors can experience a sense of serenity and wonder, feel a personal connection to the natural world, and be inspired by the beauty of the Arctic landscape. Here the long winter months can seem lifeless, but this ice forest reminds us of the rich potential energy of green summer growth lying dormant under the snow.