Internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson, working in collaboration with leading geologist Minik Rosing, will display blocks of melting ice across two public sites in the centre of London to create a major artwork, Ice Watch. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ice Watch will serve as a visceral reminder of the impact of climate change.

Ice Watch London will be Eliasson’s first temporary sculpture for the capital and builds on his history of promoting climate change awareness and sustainable energy.

Launching on Tuesday 11 December 2018, to coincide with the meeting of world leaders at the COP24 climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, Ice Watch aims to inspire public action against climate change at this critical time. 

Ice floating in Nuup Kangerlua, Greenland. Image Studio Olafur Eliasson © 2018 Olafur Eliasson

"This installation follows a landmark report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on 8 October 2018, which warned that we have only 12 years to limit the worst effects of climate change," stated in a press release. 

The blocks of ice were taken out of the waters of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord in Greenland where they were melting into the ocean after having been lost from the ice sheet. 

Harvesting ice floating in Nuup Kangerlua, Greenland. Image Studio Olafur Eliasson © 2018 Olafur Eliasson

In London, 24 blocks will be arranged in a circular grove on Bankside outside Tate Modern, where a major exhibition of Eliasson’s work will open in July 2019, and six additional blocks will be on display in the heart of the City of London outside Bloomberg’s European headquarters. As the ice gradually thaws, members of the public will have an opportunity to encounter the tangible effects of climate change and feeling the ice melt away.

Harvesting ice floating in Nuup Kangerlua, Greenland, for Ice Watch inParis, 2015. Image Jørgen Chemnitz © 2015 Olafur Eliasson

"It is clear that we have only a short period of time to limit the extreme effects of climate change," said Olafur Eliasson. 

"By enabling people to experience and actually touch the blocks of ice in this project, I hope we will connect people to their surroundings in a deeper way and inspire radical change. We must recognise that together we have the power to take individual actions and to push for systemic change. Let’s transform climate knowledge into climate action."

Harvesting ice floating in Nuup Kangerlua, Greenland, for Ice Watch in Paris, 2015. Image Jørgen Chemnitz © 2015 Olafur Eliasson

"Ice Watch vividly captures the urgency of tackling climate change,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies. 

"We hope Olafur Eliasson’s work of art will inspire bolder and more ambitious actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by governments, businesses, and communities."

"I am delighted this important work is coming to London, building on our rich heritage of public art and demonstrating our ongoing commitment to making London a greener, more sustainable city," said Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries. “London has always been unafraid to blaze a trail and the Mayor has set us the ambitious target of becoming a zero-carbon city. This sculpture will capture the imagination and help Londoners of all ages to understand first-hand the environmental challenges we all face."

Loading ice at Nuuk Port and Harbour, Greenland, for Ice Watch in Copenhagen, 2014. Image Group Greenland © 2014 Olafur Eliasson

Ice Watch London is the third iteration of the Ice Watch artwork, with each instalment timed to coincide with a global climate change event. The first instalment opened in 2014 outside Copenhagen’s City Hall to mark the publication of the UN Fifth Assessment Report on Climate Change by the IPCC. In 2015, Ice Watch Paris at the Place du Panthéon accompanied the 2015 COP 21 talks that led to the Paris Climate Agreement.

Eliasson’s Little Sun project provides portable, solar-powered lamps to families, refugees, and local entrepreneurs in off-grid communities. The lamps are especially useful in households where electricity is scarce or unavailable, and priced affordably for families currently using costly and toxic kerosene for their lighting.

Harvesting ice floating in Nuup Kangerlua, Greenland, for Ice Watch in Copenhagen, 2014. Image Group Greenland © 2014 Olafur Eliasson

Other critically acclaimed works include Eliasson’s 2003 Tate Modern installation The weather project, seen by more than 2 million people.

Depending on weather conditions, Ice Watch is expected to be on view in London until Friday, 21 December 2018. Any remaining ice will then be taken to local community and cultural institutions as part of an extended educational programme.

Studio Olafur Eliasson is partnering with Julie’s Bicycle to understand and minimise the environmental impacts produced by Ice Watch. A full carbon footprint will be produced on completion of the project.

Top image: Harvesting ice at Nuuk Port and Harbour, Greenland. Image Kuupik V. Kleist/KVK Consult. © 2018 Olafur Eliasson

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