It is under a month until Christmas, but the world seems to think it is already here. Christmas trees are up, lights are on, shop fronts show festive displays… Far too early! Yet I still managed to find myself at Winter Wonderland in November!
One of the biggest attractions at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park has got to be the Magical Ice Kingdom. The largest of its kind, the Magical Ice Kingdom is an enclosed, walk-through experience of amazing sculptures… and subzero temperatures. Every year the park hosts a new display with a different theme; this year is An Arctic Adventure.
From polar bears to shipwrecked explorers, the display contains ice sculptures of numerous animals, scenery and native objects you may expect to find in the Arctic. The scale of the carvings are phenomenal, as are the intricate details painstakingly etched into the ice. You’ll want to spend hours looking at them… alas, the temperature will prevent you.
Plenty of photographic opportunities can be found as you make your way around the Kingdom, including an official photograph of yourself sitting on a throne of ice in front of a foreboding palace. And, if you are brave enough/not too cold, you can enjoy a turn sliding down a slippery, icy slope.
Whatever your age, whether you enjoy the cold or not, you will be impressed by these unique sculptures. Looking at photographs does not do them justice; if you can, you must go and see them for yourself. Sadly, the artists involved are not named, but they definitely deserve recognition. Although created for winter entertainment, the sculptures are true works of art and ought to be celebrated. So go along and appreciate the craftsmanship.
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Whilst on the topic of sculptures, I have another cool (in the awe-inspiring sense) example to show you. When researching for my previous two posts on Recycled Art, I came across a sculptor/artist called Lin Evola and her project Pax Angeli (The Peace Angels Project).
This conceptual art display is to serve as a reminder of the wars and conflicts that have occurred throughout the world, and emphasise that it is up to us, people, to prevent them. Using the stainless steel found in weapons and missiles, Evola has melted them down and reshaped them into figures of angels to represent peace and unity. Evola’s intention is to install a 64′ statue in major cities throughout the world.
As well as being a powerful message, these Peace Angels are formidable works of art. Their height, detail and quality create a sense of awe, which with the force of the mission behind them, emphasises the vast amount of weapons in existence and the need to diminish them.
Hazel Stainer 