On December 15th, the doors to this year’s winter and art hotel in Jukkasjärvi, ICEHOTEL 34 were opened. The hotel, where every room is a work of art, makes the destination a unique art gallery. Its suites, sculptures, and halls are entirely made of ice and snow, all of which have been created by artists worldwide.
This year’s rendition of the hotel was created by 32 artists from 14 different countries all over the world, together with the hotel’s construction team and Luca Roncoroni, Creative Director at ICEHOTEL. This year, there are 15 art suites, a main hall, and a ceremony hall which forms the hotel’s heart.
– We are thrilled to have collaborated with artists from 14 countries – some for over two decades, others for the first time. That’s what makes ICEHOTEL unique and still exciting after 34 years. ICEHOTEL 34 has expanded with a new layout, presenting multiple art suites, the Ceremony Hall, and our ‘Main Hall,’ making a grand comeback after a 4-year hiatus, says Luca Roncoroni, Creative Director ICEHOTEL.
The creation of ICEHOTEL 34
ICEHOTEL 34 has taken six intense weeks to build, with 500 tonnes of ice and 10 Olympic swimming pools of “snis” – a mix of ice and snow. Working on ICEHOTEL 34 started in the spring when ice blocks were harvested from the Torne River to be kept cold in the ice warehouse in Jukkasjärvi. The ice harvested in the spring has been used to make 34 the magical experience it is. Artists from all over the world – Sweden, Poland, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, France, Singapore, Belgium, Slovakia, and the UK – were selected by a thorough jury to create unique art suites and halls for guests to experience.
– This year marks the inauguration of the 34th edition of ICEHOTEL, and once again, our international artists have created something unique and spectacular. The art suites of this year showcase an incredible height of creativity and form an exciting collection of artistic dreams, expressions, and ideas. Guests this year will be captivated by art suites that evoke thoughts of fairy tales, nature and cultural tradition to name a few. I am excited to unveil ICEHOTEL 34 to all our guests from around the world, says Marie Herrey, CEO ICEHOTEL.
ICEHOTEL 365
ICEHOTEL 34 will be available to experience during the winter season of 2023-2024 before it melts and returns to the Torne River in the spring. What remains is the permanent part of the hotel, called ICEHOTEL 365. ICEHOTEL 365 contains art and deluxe suites, an ice bar, and a movie theatre. Two new suites in ICEHOTEL 365 were completed in November of 2023: The Breach, created by Annie Locke Scherer and Tobias Kiefer, and Mystery on the ICEHOTEL Express, created by Jonas Johansson, Jordi Claramunt, and Abel Pruñonosa.
Jury of ICEHOTEL 34:
Marjolein Vonk, stylist, NLD
AnnaSofia Mååg, artist, SWE
Linnea Lundkvist, photographer, SWE
Joakim Enmalm, ICEHOTEL Ice and Design Manager, SWE
Luca Roncoroni, ICEHOTEL Creative Director (jury leader), ITA
ART AND ARTISTS
ICEHOTEL 34 – 15 ART SUITES, 1 CEREMONY HALL, 1 MAIN HALL
OH MY GODDESS
Ulrika Tallving – Sweden
Giovanna Martinez – Italy
Torne River Anomaly
Jack Prescott – United Kingdom
Mathew Foster – United Kingdom
INCEPTION
Nicolas Triboulot – France
Karl Gilles – France
Morning Song
Natsuki Saito – Japan
Shingo Saito – Japan
Katt & Råtta
Tjåsa Gusfors – Sweden
Hanneke Supply – Belgium
Eternal Flow
Maxime van Besien – Belgium
Nebula’s Child
Edmund Chan – Singapore
TaiTien Tan – Singapore
Siella
Laila Kolostyak – Norway
Elisabeth Kristensen – Norway
Beaver Lodge
Dawn Detarando – Canada
Brian McArthur – Canada
Obscura
Lukas Petko – Slovakia
Don´t Get Up
Wilfred Stijger – Netherlands
Edith van de Wetering – Netherlands
Minus 10
Luc Voisin – France
Mathieu Brison – France
DREAM WITH A THORN
Monica Popescu – Romania
Emmylou Varon – Philippines/Sweden
Light Collectors
Lisa Lindqvist – United Kingdom
Kate Munro – United Kingdom
SEA INSIDE
Kristina Möckel – Germany
Sebastian Scheller – Germany
LattICE – Main Hall
Kendo Hamaguchi – Japan
Taku Ohuchi – Japan
Slava – Ceremony Hall
Tomasz Czajkowski – Poland
Grzegorz Olczak – Poland
ICEHOTEL 365 – New deluxe suites
THE BREACH
Annie Locke Scherer – USA
Tobias Kiefer – Germany
MYSTERY ON THE ICEHOTEL EXPRESS
Jonas Johansson – Sweden
Jordi Claramunt – Spain
Abel Pruñonosa – Spain
Facts about Icehotel 34
- 32 artists from 14 different countries
- 500 tonnes of ice were used to build ICEHOTEL 34
- 10 Olympic swimming pools of “snis” – a mix of ice and snow
- ICEHOTEL 34 has a constant inner temperature of -5 degrees Celsius
- The hotel took about 6 weeks to build
- A total of around 90 people were part of building this year’s hotel.
- In the open competition, the were 157 applicant artist who submitted contributions to be involved in designing and building this year’s edition of ICEHOTEL
New for this year ICEHOTEL:
- The Main Hall is back after a few years’ absence. The main hall this year is designed by Japanese artists Kendo Hamaguchi and Taku Ohuchi
- More art suites than previously. This year Icehotel have 15 instead of the usual 12
- Two new suites in ICEHOTEL 365 were completed in November of 2023.
Breif fact about ICEHOTEL
- 44 warm hotel rooms
- 28 warm chalets
- 18 year-round open art & deluxe suites of ice (-5 degrees Celsius/ 23 Fahrenheit)
- 35 Winter Open Art Suites & Ice Rooms (-5 degrees Celsius/23 Fahrenheit)
- 1 accessibility adapted Art Suite made of ice (-5 degrees Celsius/23 Fahrenheit)
- 3 Conference rooms
- 1 ceremony hall made of ice and snow in the winter hotel (mid-Dec – mid-April)
- 1 movie theater made of ice and snow for 29 guests, open all year round
- 1 exhibition room made of ice and snow
- 1 Icebar
- 3 restaurants
- 4 wilderness Camps
