Ukrainian Indifference captivated Chinese
A work by Odesa artists was recognized as one of the best at the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Harbin
Massive human figures stand close together on a pedestal, while a little child is lost inside the crowd; this composition, entitled Indifference, received many awards at the competition held in China. The sculpture’s creative team came from Ushinsky Southern Ukrainian National Pedagogical University of Odesa.
Members of the Ukrainian team worked with the snow for the first time. “Our school is a partner of Harbin Engineering University, which organizes the festival. Therefore, our students have been taking part in the event for four years,” the Ukrainian team’s leader Tetiana Shtykalo told us. “This year, I got a chance to attend the festival as well. I teach at the art and graphics department, so I can create sculptures. I just selected strong students for the team, because hacking snow is a hard work, and we departed for Harbin.”
In total, the festival attracted more than 60 teams from different continents. Most participants came from Asian nations, like China, Taiwan, Japan, et al. Some masters have long been involved with the snow sculpture, but the competition saw novices coming as well. The event took place in early January, being the seventh such competition. Participants were instructed on safety first, and then spent three days working on their sculptures. The figures were carved from pieces of snow that were 3.5 meters high, and each team received a snow cube of its own.
Artists were allowed to stay at the platform for as long as they wanted, even if it was 72 hours without a break, provided they had the stamina to do so. The Odesites worked for several hours, then slept a little, and then went back to hacking and sanding snow. “It was very cold in Harbin, and cold interfered with our work. Temperatures went as low as 20 degrees Celsius below zero at night, and stood at 15 below zero in the afternoon. I had my face frostbitten on the first day, despite using a protective cream. Locals, both old and young, go about wearing full-face masks,” Shtykalo said. However, it is this cold that allows snow sculptures to stay intact for as long as six months.
The head of Ukrainian team is of the opinion that there was no definite project concept at first. Material and technique dictated the composition, and the idea came afterwards, offered by student Oleksandr Korshunov. Asians have their approach, they create compositions on philosophical and mythological themes, and their plots are associated with oriental gods and traditions. “I do not know why our work was of interest to them,” Shtykalo admitted. “Probably, we were the only ones to have created something similar to a monument. In addition, others created some effete works, and nobody else addressed global social issues.”
Many awards of the festival went to Chinese and Taiwanese participants as well. The Ukrainian team received a crystal cup as a reward for the successful project.
