Title:
Deborah, Joyce, Kristina
Intention/artist statement:
The final installation will consist of a mirror as the bottom layer, with the ice pillars on top of it, and a sheet of ice supported by the pillars, with metallic sheets, draped around. A slightly heavier glass block will be placed on the ice sheet. We decided to use the ice as our main element because of its fragility yet ability to withstand weight to a certain extent. It also represents the more natural aspect of the world. The mirror is another key element, we chose it because of its reflective property which we thought would add an interesting layer to the structure as well as the documentation process. It also represents something more industrial and man-made, as opposed to the ice and raises awareness of what surrounds us. These two elements contrast each other, yet are similar in their fragility. It highlights the coexistence of natural and synthetics and finding the balance between nature and industrials. We intend to observe the melting of the ice sheet and the fall of the glass block on the mirror and its effects on the entirety of the sculpture. This symbolizes the literal fall of the natural due to warmth- which is a nod to global warming. The melting of the ice will also allow us to explore the aspect of time and how fleeting the elements could be. Since the variables are beyond our control, it will be interesting to observe the direction the project takes.
Our group decided to speak about the effects of global warming on our planet, and more specifically, about the melting of ice due to rising temperatures. This topic talks about ephemerality since global warming is destroying nature bit by bit, and us human beings with it.
With our sculpture, we want to demonstrate that humans are dependent on nature and that nature is the pillar of human existence. We see nature today as a different entity, exploiting all its resources for our own interests. In actual fact, we are just as much part as nature as any animal or plant and should take care of it. Secondly, our sculpture should demonstrate a ticking time bomb which will go off and cause destruction to itself. Global warming has been a known issue for 50 years and still hasn’t been taken seriously. If we keep on living the way we live, our planet will soon be completely destroyed.
Exploration:
We all froze different sheets of ice as a part of experimentation until we found a thickness that was sturdy enough. We then conducted an experiment with a mirror and a soda can (used as a weight) to see the height and weight at which the glass below would break.
Research:
Kishio Suga ‘Law of Multitude’ Installation view MOT / Tokyo 2015
Olafur Eliasson ‘Ice Watch’ Place du Panthéon, Paris, 2015
Andy Goldsworthy Balanced ice column. / Helbeck Craggs, Cumbria, 5 January 1985
Lee Ufan ‘Relatum ‘Stage’ Installation view, Serpentine Gallery, London, 2018
‘The highest level of expression is not to create something from nothing, but rather to nudge something that already exists so that the world shows up more vividly.’ Lee Ufan
Sketches and notes:
Tests:
Installation photos:
We took time-lapses of the ice melting used a hairdryer to speed up the process. The mirror didn’t shatter in the end, as it was made out of plastic. However, it still looked like shattering, as we had filled the jar with water and it splashed, once hitting the surface. We also liked how the trees look in contrast to the balcony, which again talks about the juxtaposition of nature and human.
In the end, we were satisfied with our project, even though it was a challenge to work with ice and glass, both being very fragile materials. We believe that it is important to raise more awareness on the topic of global warming, as it affects our whole planet and future generations.