inside the art suites at the 25th icehotel in jukkasjärvi

inside the art suites at the 25th icehotel in jukkasjärvi
art suite: ‘7 , 5 °’ rø by wolfgang-a. lüchow, sebastian andreas scheller, anja kilian, germany
all photos by paulina holmgren

every winter a small village in northern sweden welcomes some 50,000 visitors to ‘icehotel‘, opening each year under a new artistic scheme. hundreds of creators from all over the world are chosen to take part in adding their influence to an ‘art suite’ at the tranquil site in jukkasjärvi, whether it be sculptural, light-based or even typographic.

the world’s first and largest hotel built of snow and ice has recently opened its 25th edition, following a three month architectural and interior renovation. about 1,000 tonnes of frozen water and about 30,000 m3 of ‘snice’ (snow and ice particles from the torne river mixed with air) allows the retreat structural stability, while maintaining its inherent ephemerality.

art suite: ‘two as one’ by jose carlos cabello millán

some of the artistic facets of this edition’s suites feature a typographic installation made of ice, european folk art motifs, lush rain forests, abstract interpretations of love, baroque architecture, the craft of printmaking and the inner workings of a clock.

‘time piece’ looks like the inner cogs and wheels of a clock, while ‘prime mate’ transports the guest into a lush rainforest. in the suite ‘hot type’, guests can sleep in the midst of the printing process. the individually handcrafted rooms that comprise ‘icehotel’ make it one of the most unique art projects in the world, reincarnated each year hand-carved suites, an ice church, ice bar and a majestic pillar hall.

art suite: ‘hot type in a cold setting’ by john bark & charli kasselbäck