A different perspective on glaciers
Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson installed and inaugurated an artwork on the Grawand ridge on the Schnalstal Glacier in October 2020. It is a permanent public artwork that invites visitors to reflect deeply on climate change.
The artwork, titled Our Glacial Perspectives, can be reached on foot via a 410-metre path along the glacier ridge. Along the way, nine gates mark intervals corresponding to the duration of past ice ages. At the end stands a large sphere, also called a pavilion, which functions as an astronomical instrument. The steel and glass sphere is equipped with rings that allow the path of the sun to be tracked. More than 700 blue glass panels of varying sizes make it possible to follow the summer solstice, the equinoxes and the winter solstice. Visitors can determine the time of day based on the position of the sun.
This optical device also invites visitors to confront human perspective with planetary and glacial dimensions. It highlights awareness of water, our most valuable resource, and its natural cycles. The sculpture illustrates the scale of climate change and glacier melting. Its location on the glacier marks this intersection.
Olafur Eliasson, a world-renowned artist and UN Goodwill Ambassador for climate action, presented the artwork on the Grawand ridge and addressed pressing issues of climate change. With this glacier monument, he encourages visitors to find their own answers to this global challenge. Olafur Eliasson was born in Denmark in 1967, grew up in Iceland and later studied art in Copenhagen. His works often explore nature and perception. He currently lives in Berlin.
www.olafureliasson.net
OPEN!
The art project is accessible in summer at your own risk.