Icehotel 34 – OPEN APPLICATION
Dear artists and designers,
Thank you for all your mails and for the overwhelming interest you show about Icehotel, and about the process leading up to next winter. We can now confirm that we will build Icehotel 34 in November 2023 and that the International Design Competition is open for application. We look forward to seeing your creative and innovative ideas. Below you will find all the information you need to submit a contribution to this year´s design competition for Icehotel 34.
We are confident that this decision will ensure the high quality experience Icehotel is known for, and will preserve the tradition of working with art and design by international professionals.
Deadline APRIL 16, 2023.
For any questions or comments you can send a mail to art@icehotel.com
Photo Paulina Holmgren
Photo Asaf Kliger
An ephemeral art project
Icehotel is more than rooms and beds; it is an ephemeral art project made of snow and ice from Torne River, which is completely unique.
Every year, the entire seasonal Icehotel is reborn in a completely new guise.
By tradition, the actual making of the hotel is an art forum, whereby the selected suite designers gather in Jukkasjärvi to use the ice and snow as a canvas for their art. Each room is an installation, an original piece of art that melts and returns to Mother Nature in spring.
Create your own art suite out of ice and snow
What designs, enhancements or completely new features you would like to see at Icehotel in the future? Thoughtful, crazy, innovative, creative or beautiful – there are no rules for how the suites should look. The only requirement is that they must be original designs and include a bed – and everything has to be made from ice and snow.
Artists Julia Gamborg Nielsen & Lotta Lampa. Photo Asaf Kliger
Artists Wouter Biegelaar & Viktor Tsarski. Photo Asaf Kliger
Application & deadline
Each spring we open for new designers and artists to apply. Icehotel evaluates the applications based on concept, innovativeness, visualization and description. The selected artists will be invited to Jukkasjärvi for two weeks in November-December, the same year.
The application for Icehotel 34 is open
Deadline for application, April16, 2023
The winners are presented, May 2, 2023
Take a look at the reference applications and the video clip on this page for inspiration; scroll down for application forms.
Welcome to our design and building team for Icehotel 34!
Download
We recommend you to take a look at the reference applications on this page for inspiration.
Design Luc Voisin & Mathieu Brison. Photo Asaf Kliger
Art Suite Kaleidoscope | Design Natsuki Saito & Shingo Saito | Photo Asaf Kliger
Reference Application 1
Art Suite Kaleidoscope
Design Natsuki Saito & Shingo Saito
Reference Application 2
Art Suite Warm Up.
Design Tomasz Czajkowski and Aleksandra Pasek
Warm up | Design Tomasz Czajkowski & Aleksandra Pasek | Photo Asaf Kliger
Feline Lair | Design Brian Alvin McArthur & Dawn Marie Detarando | Photo Asaf Kliger
Reference Application 3
Art Suite Feline Lair
Brian Alvin McArthur & Dawn Marie Detarando
The making of Icehotel
When winter is at its darkest and coldest hour, artists from all over the world arrive to the village of Jukkasjärvi. They come to take part in the shaping of the art exhibition in snow, ice and light that constitutes Icehotel. The makers? Well, it changes from year to year; graphic designers, architects, industrial engineers, and artists – the list goes on. The principal aim for the creative team at Icehotel is to seek out truly original ideas for new suites and artwork for each reincarnation of the hotel.
Watch two artists create a suite at Icehotel ›
Artists Tomasz Czajkowski & Eryk Marks. Photo Asaf Kliger
Looking for breadth and interesting contrasts
Every year Icehotel has an open call for new ideas. Since the hotel provides instructors and tools for the actual sculpting there are no prerequisites for applying – all that matters is your idea and that you’re able to join the symposium to create the suite in person. Icehotel evaluates the applications based on originality of ideas and with the overall composition of exhibition – looking for breadth and interesting contrasts between different contributors’ concepts ideas.
Twelve applications are accepted and invited to Jukkasjärvi in November to build their design. Some of them have participated in the past, others are new to the experience – and some are even new to sculpting in ice and snow and colder climes altogether. Assisting in their creations a team of experienced artists acts as support throughout the construction process.
Honorary assignments
In addition to the art suite designers, a number of experienced ice artists with documented skill and technical knowledge are given the honorary assignments to design the public areas of the hotel, including the main hall, the ceremony hall, luxury suites in Icehotel 365 and the bar.
The final touch is the light design – as most of the artwork is transparent, light adds an important dimension to the end result. A team of light designers works closely with the creators of each room in the hotel to ensure the lightning interprets and enhances the artwork in the best way possible.
Design Wouter Biegelaar & Viktor Tsarski. Photo Asaf Kliger
Photo Asaf Kliger
Contacts
Do you want to get in touch with us regarding your application or any other art collaboration please contact our Creative Director Luca Roncoroni | [email protected]
FAQ
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I’m not an artist ... I don’t even know what tools I need for that work
Don’t worry! We will guide you through the technical stuff like learning the material and the tools when you get here. Icehotel is about creative exchange, we learn from each other.
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I have more than one extraordinary cool idea
We love new ideas – especially the ones that are creative and a little bit crazy! If you have more than one that is great; make sure to send separate applications for each idea
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Any rules?
We believe that everything is possible, however, we do have a few guidelines such as that you have to have a unique design and that you can sleep in it (and some other stuff that is listed in the pdf). Remember that entries must not have been published or made available to the public before the submission date.
Jukkasjärvi means ‘meeting place by the river’, and that’s exactly what it is. Because every year, artists gather here to take part in the creation of Icehotel. It’s tough but creative work, and it brings everyone together, with no sense of competition. On the contrary – everyone supports each other, sharing tips on how to reach new heights together. We’re brought together by our love of art and ice, and many of the artists return year after year.