Back in the early ICEHOTEL year's artist selection was dependent on coincidence and availability. Today,the selection process is quite comprehensive. The jury of ICEHOTEL Art & Design Group representatives,draw from a wealth of international applications, based on design, feasibility and experience.
To have worked with ice and snow before is not a prerequisite - it has never been. The artists come fromvarious creative professions, such as industrial design, shoe design, textile and video art, sculpting andpainting. By reaching beyond their typical mediums they challenge themselves with ice and snow. Newtechnique is being discovered and new ideas are realised. Both the artists and ICEHOTEL benefit from this.
In this year's ICEHOTEL the desire for experimentation is put to the test. The own staff has already begun toplan for 15 of the 30 Art Suites. The possibilities of ice and snow will be tested and the hotel will develop,but the philosophy is the same as it was 19 years ago: ICEHOTEL and its art shall be created only from theresources that the river Torne supplies us with.
”And the ice harvest was good this year”, says Mark Armstrong, construction manager and implies that theexpectations this year's hotel (which will hold about 80 rooms) are high.
ICEHOTEL #19 opens December 10th and is inaugurated as soon as the last touches have been made to theABSOLUT ICEBAR JUKKASJÄRVI, on December 12th. In the bar, Swedish sculptress Lena Kriström Kulin'spoetic idiom will meet Mark Armstrong's rougher idiom.
Arne Bergh, the artistic director of ICEHOTEL, will bring the ice chandelier back into the main hall and thevisitor's senses will be brought to life by a warm welcoming to the with ice decorated reception. The reception,which this year will bring about a new look to the entrance - one of the hotel's strongest features.
Camilla Bondareva
Press Officer ICEHOTEL
Tel: +46 980-668 40
E-mail: camilla@icehotel.com
ARTISTS 2008/2009
Suites
Charly Walter, Austria
Liliya Pobornikova, Bulgaria
Viktor Tzarski, Bulgaria
Javier Opazo, Chile
José Vazques Toro, Chile
Charlotte Koster, Holland
Michiel van der Boom, Holland
Sakai Hiroyoshi, Japan
Natsuki Munakata, Japan
Shingo Saito, Japan
Karlis Ile, Latvia
Kestutis Musteikis, Lithuania
Magarita Kiselicha, Macedonia
Simon Kaladjdziev, Macedonia
Natalia Chistyakova, Russia
Rashid Sagadeev, Russia
Jens Paulus, Spain
Leo Urnefelt, Sweden
Finn Ölund, Sweden
David Andrén, Sweden
Daniel Andersson, Sweden
Kristina Jansson, Sweden
Gudrun Westerlund, Sweden
Benny Ekman, Sweden
Ben Rousseau, UK
INSA, UK
Joshua Space, USA
The reception
Åke Larsson, Sweden, Mikael Nille Nilsson, Sweden, Sofi Ruotsalainen, Sweden
ABSOLUT ICEBAR JUKKASJÄRVI
Mark Armstrong, UK, Lena Kriström Kulin, Sweden
The main hall
Arne Bergh, Sweden, Anders Eriksson, Sweden
The ice church
Marjolein Vonk, Holland, Cindy Berg, Holland, Marinus Vroom, Holland, Jan Willem van der Schoot, Holland