Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara

Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara Italian artist Irma Irsara will be working on an experimental, ever-changing art piece in the Victorian ice wells at the London Canal Museum in the heart of King’s Cross.
(2)

Zero Celsius invites you to witness, explore and be part of an unexpected subterranean landscape in the heart of King's Cross. Through investigation and elaboration of different elements embedded in blocks of ice, artist Irma Irsara will develop an experimental work with ever-changing outcomes. The installation process is an interaction between the artist, this unique host location and the melting shapes of ice, resulting in a unique participatory experience. This site–specific intervention, designed to take place in two recently-restored, historic ice wells at the London Canal Museum, will see Irsara absorbing, interacting with and taking advantage of the peculiar aspects and previous function of the location. The former ice warehouse, which houses the museum, was established at the end of the19th century by ice cream maker and entrepreneur Carlo Gatti, who used the two brick-lined wells beneath the building to store blocks of natural ice brought from Norway via the London canal system. Irsara will collect water on a daily basis from the canal in order to produce forms of ice, incorporating melanix mirror, organic material, shredded text and lights, which will melt and transform. The ever-evolving composition of ice blocks, at times incorporating video and projected still images, will create a tension between the forms themselves and the surroundings. Ambient conditions, the darkness and the soft roundness and texture of the structure of the wells will influence the configuration of the ice landscape. Each morning, for the duration of the project, Irsara's descent into the ice wells will be a ritualistic consuetude, before intuition, imagination and creation take over: “The first thing I have to do every morning by necessity is to take the forms out from the freezers and wait. I may clear my mind, let my thoughts wander, I may stare at the wall, contemplate the earthy floor of the well, look at the square opening above, the little entrance to the second well, the subtly changing colours of the humid brickwork. The whole thing is how the work is conceived, how it is developed and how it will eventually disappear again. Every morning, I will envisage the beginning of a new creation.”

At scheduled times, Irma will be hosting tours of the wells, suggesting ways to observe and experience the artwork and its relation to the architecture of the site. The spectators will witness and influence though their reaction the constant re-invention of this non-permanent artwork. The end result of this ephemeral work is inevitable but through the artist's creative process and journey of discovery it aims to inspire the public's imagination. The only certainty is that the ice will slowly melt and, once again, become part of the water cycle, leaving the artwork to finish at the point where it began. Irma Irsara - Artist
Laura Bottin - Curator & PR
Barbara Pasculli - PR & Website Manager
John O'Leary - Graphic Designer

Operating as usual

London Canal Museum
24/12/2013

London Canal Museum

Lifting a freezer out of the ice well after the end of Zero Celsius

Zero Celsius is now finished. Many thanks to everyone involved for their help and support and to all who attended the fi...
21/12/2013

Zero Celsius is now finished. Many thanks to everyone involved for their help and support and to all who attended the finissage event.

Zero Celsius is now finished. Many thanks to everyone involved for their help and support and to all who attended the fi...
21/12/2013

Zero Celsius is now finished. Many thanks to everyone involved for their help and support and to all who attended the finissage event last Wednesday.

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.
21/12/2013

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

DAY 16 - 08 Photo copyright: Mark Nolan, all rights reserved
15/12/2013

DAY 16 - 08 Photo copyright: Mark Nolan, all rights reserved

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.
15/12/2013

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

13/12/2013
London Canal Museum

London Canal Museum

This is the last weekend to see artist Irma Irsara at work in the ice wells at London Canal Museum. This time-lapse video shows one of her ice block works melting overnight during her fortnight-long residency at the museum. http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/zerocelsius

Le sculture di Irma http://wp.me/p3XdVI-c4
13/12/2013
Le sculture di Irma

Le sculture di Irma http://wp.me/p3XdVI-c4

Luci, corde, cortecce, pigne, carteggi, ghiaccio e le mani Irma che sembran danzare su un palcoscenico di pietra. Ecco le sculture di Irma. È come guardare oggetti bloccati nel tempo, perché racchiusi nel ghiaccio in giorni lontani oppure da…

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.
12/12/2013

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

11/12/2013
Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.
10/12/2013

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

The artist working in the wells - more new ice
08/12/2013

The artist working in the wells - more new ice

The artist working in the wells - more new ice

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.
08/12/2013

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

Until 18th December Irma Irsara will be producing new ice sculptures on a daily basis.

DAY 6 - 02
05/12/2013

DAY 6 - 02

DAY 5 - 01
04/12/2013

DAY 5 - 01

Day 3 - 01
02/12/2013

Day 3 - 01

DAY 1 - 02
30/11/2013

DAY 1 - 02

Zero Celsius private view on Wednesday 27 November - thanks to everyone for coming.
30/11/2013

Zero Celsius private view on Wednesday 27 November - thanks to everyone for coming.

Zero Celsius private view on Wednesday 27 November - thanks to everyone for coming.

Thanks to everyone for having taken part in the opening of Zero Celsius. Check the development of the installation on ou...
28/11/2013
Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara

Thanks to everyone for having taken part in the opening of Zero Celsius.
Check the development of the installation on our website www.zerocelsius.co.uk

Italian artist Irma Irsara will be working on an experimental, ever-changing art piece in the Victorian ice wells at the London Canal Museum. She'll be working in the space on a daily basis, using ice forms, melanix, organic material, video and lights, to create a time-based installation which refle...

Il circolo nel cerchio
28/11/2013
Il circolo nel cerchio

Il circolo nel cerchio

È l’inizio del tutto, quando Irma prende in prestito dalla natura un po’ di acqua, per lavorarla, trasformarla e poi restituirla. Lavorerà alacremente aspettando di scoprire il momento, quel momento in cui capirà che non…

Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara
28/11/2013

Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara

East Well at the London Canal Museum

East Well at the London Canal Museum
27/11/2013

East Well at the London Canal Museum

Ice block in the East Well
27/11/2013

Ice block in the East Well

Il circolo nel cerchio http://wp.me/p3XdVI-ar
27/11/2013
Il circolo nel cerchio

Il circolo nel cerchio http://wp.me/p3XdVI-ar

È l’inizio del tutto, quando Irma prende in prestito dalla natura un po’ di acqua, per lavorarla, trasformarla e poi restituirla. Lavorerà alacremente aspettando di scoprire il momento, quel momento in cui capirà che non…

il cerchio nel cerchio http://wp.me/p3XdVI-am
26/11/2013
il cerchio nel cerchio

il cerchio nel cerchio http://wp.me/p3XdVI-am

Un cerchio nel cerchio, un cerchio di luce che sì illumina e espande la sua tensione fino a toccare, sfiorando e scontrandosi con il cerchio del pozzo. Il cerchio del pozzo che cerca di trattenere quel cerchio di luce fino … Continue reading…

Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara
24/11/2013

Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara

Creare una tensione tra il cerchio archeologico e il cerchio di luce.

Zero Celsius at the London Canal Museum, the West Well takes shape.
24/11/2013

Zero Celsius at the London Canal Museum, the West Well takes shape.

Zero Celsius at the London Canal Museum, the West Well takes shape.

Creare una tensione tra il cerchio archeologico e il cerchio di luce.
22/11/2013

Creare una tensione tra il cerchio archeologico e il cerchio di luce.

Preparing the circle.
22/11/2013

Preparing the circle.

Address

London Canal Museum 12-13 New Wharf Road
London
N1 9

Telephone

+44 (0) 20 7272 25 21

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Zero Celsius - Irma Irsara:

Videos

Shortcuts

Category

Nearby museums

Other Museums in London

Show All