Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival November 22, 2007

This upcoming winter 2007 the City of Bruges and Snow & Ice Events present a new Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival full of mystery and magic in a world of snow and ice.

On the Station Square in Bruges, from the 23nd of November 2007 untill the 13th of January 2008, open each day non-stop from 10 AM – 19 PM . The Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival is organised in collaboration with the City of Bruges.

The Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival is sculpted from no less than 300,000 kilograms of crystal-clear ice and 400 tons of pure snow. This treasure-trove of icy masterpieces is preserved in a special 1,200 m² thermal tent, where the temperature is kept at a constant -5° C. The first refrigerated lorries will arrive at the beginning of November, to deposit their 2 ton ice blocks on the Station-square. A fleet of bulldozers and cranes will move these blocks into the cold hall, where they will be stacked in preparation for the sculpting of the metres-high snow & ice decors.

In addition to the ice, a staggering 400 tons of snow will also be transformed into gigantic works of frosty art. The powder-fine snow will be made inside the tent and blown into specially constructed moulds. This allows for the creation of massive snow blocks, from which the figures and shapes can then be cut. The combination of architectural lighting and sparkling ice creates a magical and fairylike showpiece, which is guaranteed to make you shiver: not only with the cold, but also from wonder and admiration.

International and professional ice sculptors. The international team of 40 professional ice sculptors have to complete their titanic work in the 4 weeks leading up to the opening. Before you enter the Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival, an audio-visual display will show you precisely how the ‘ice-hackers’ transform blocks of snow and ice into stunning works of art. These ice artists – who come from countries as diverse as China, Canada, The United States, Sweden, Holland and Belgium – all have many years of experience and regularly participate in competitions such as the Olympic Games or the Ice-Carving World Championships.

Pull on your warm clothes and come on down to this unique event with its own limited ‘sell-by date’!

Official Website: http://www.icesculpture.be/index.asp?taal=uk