Meet the Glaciers

8.3.2022, Geneva, Switzerland

Glaciers are slow-moving rivers of ice that form from an accumulation of snow over many years. Around 10% of the world’s land surface is currently covered by glaciers, which store around 70% of the Earth’s freshwater. Glacier is a cultural symbol for Switzerland, but also for all countries situated themselves in the glaciers found on nearly every continent. Since 2017, Swiss scientists had already proposed to slow down the malign of the Swiss alps by the use of artificial snow or blankets. In 2019, Iceland also held funerals for the first glacier lost to climate change.

On March 8th, Women’s Day of 2022, we created a realist experience “Meet the Glacier” to an audience in Geneva. It invited the audience to feel the state of being of the glaciers and to surrender to the emotions in facing the loss of glaciers.

Our team was incredibly grateful to be the channels of creation to this living piece of Waters. What we did not share with most people is that this project never had a closure until summer 2023 — we brought the glacier piece that we “borrowed” from the glacier de Pièce from Valais back to where it belonged in the glacier des Bossons in Chamonix.

I’ve personally learned one of the biggest lessons in life from working with him. Two days following the performance, I was buried in tears for hours, because I looked back and saw that I had been so stressed putting the event together, so disconnected from Waters that I had allowed a piece to be taken away from the glacier that is already suffering… just so I can create a piece art for myself, my ego. It wasn’t merely a self-critic or judgment that was so painful but the guilt that so much of what we do as humans is taking, taking, and taking from nature, (most of the time) without asking for any permission or reciprocate in return. We take what we want just because we can — we are humans (so capable, yet so disconnected from our roots and mother nature).
Glacier des bossons in Chamonix

Hiking up the glaciers hearing Jean Chamel (local from Chamonix) speaking about how far the glaciers had retreated since his childhood and seeing the evidence in front of our eyes was very heartbreaking. This journey felt complete as we brought our beloved home and made a little ceremony to converse with the water, to thank the glacier. My heart was finally at peace seeing my duty as an artist had brought the story to the world.