White visions for the future in Ischgl
This winter sparkling white snow sculptures will decorate the slopes of Ischgl in the Austrian Tirol to mark the 29th anniversary of the resort’s Shapes in White exhibition.
Teams of sculptors from all over the world with work with spades, chisels and carving tools to create impressive white works using a total of 50 tons of snow, in piles of up to 10m high, in just five days in the 239 km skiing area. This will take place from the January 8 to 14, 2023, under the topical theme; ” The Future of eco-friendly travel in the face of climate change” and will transform the Silvretta Arena into an impressive open-air gallery.
Shapes in White was launched in 1994 when Tourist Association bosses invited sculptors to make creations from the abundance of snow that was piled up after snowmachines had groomed the pistes. The concept proved to be hugely popular and became an annual event, demonstrating the resort’s snowsure reputation.
Singers from the renowned Top Of The Mountain concerts, Hollywood, Vikings, Comic book and Circus inspired this month’s sculptures, which can be admired around the Silvretta Ski Arena and will last until the Spring thaw in May.
The rules are simple: Whoever turns their visions of the future into best ice-cold reality, wins. Ten selected pairs of artists from seven nations will work for five days on a total of ten snow sculptures, up to ten meters high, distributed throughout the skiing area. In addition, there will be a themed sculpture specified by Ischgl, which will be created by last year’s winner. Want a sneak preview? If you want to get a sneak preview, you can ski the various locations in the Silvretta Arena and look over the artists’ shoulders and their work. On January 14, the Ischgl jury will choose the most beautiful work of art. A map with explanations and locations of the eleven “Shapes in White” is available free of charge on site. More Info: www.ischgl.com
“Shapes in white” – How too much snow became an art project
What are we going to do with all that snow? Art – what else! This was the idea behind the “Shapes in White” snow sculpture project nearly 30 years ago. Since then, sculptors from all over the world send their designs to the jury of the Ischgl snow sculpture competition every year. The jury selects the most eye-catching entries and invites ten pairs of artists to the Silvretta Arena to work on their art. In the past sculptures have included the founders of the creation of the Silvrettaseilbahn AG on the 50th anniversary (2014), sea creatures (1995) and dragons (2012), a wide variety of themes have already been imaginatively interpretated. This winter, winter sports enthusiasts and snow art lovers can look forward to exciting interpretations on the broad theme of ” The Future of eco-friendly travel in the face of climate change” at the 29th snow sculpture competition “Shapes in White”.
For more information, visit www.ischgl.com.
