Yesterday, the Sapporo Snow Festival kicked off in Sapporo, Japan. The week-long festival draws millions of people to see the elaborate snow sculptures modeled after famous buildings and celebrities. This year one of the draws is a statue of President Trump (which is sure to be considered, “sad!” or definitely “fake snow” by the president in the near future).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQKIXKvDZ6S/
The largest sculpture this year is of the Arc de Triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in Paris.
The festival started in 1950 when high school students built a few statues out of snow in Odori Park. The statues were loved and viewed by thousands of people. And the event grew from there. Now, artists from around the world create hundreds of sculptures that fill three sites around the city.
Preparing the sculptures is an intense process. According to the official website, first the city must transport the snow to the site, and then bulldoze the snow to make a firm base. Once the base is established, workers heap and pack snow tightly upwards. Then wooden panels are installed section by section to make a frame around the snow. This frame also serves as scaffolding.
They continue to pack snow (this time with a crane!) onto the pile until they reach the required height. Then once the snow has hardened, the wooden panels are removed and the artists are able to start shaping the statue by carving. It’s incredibly time consuming, delicate work but the results are stunning!
The event lasts until February 12th! But if you can’t make it all the way to Japan, these Instagram images will give you a taste of the festival, a mixture of humorous, elegant, and thrilling temporary statues.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQMEyXbBCzJ/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQL_Hijlsr9/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQLNj54gCQt/
