Ice, light and music combine

KOROWAI: Artist Simon Lardelli’s live ice carving at the winter-themed, multimedia art exhibition and dance party in the War Memorial Theatre foyer was part of a unique performance environment. Picture by Aimee-Renee Steele

Light and ice were the raw materials for a live carving by Simon Lardelli at the multi-media, arts showcase Ice Block on Saturday. By the end of the evening Lardelli had sculpted a solid ovoid form ringed with soft ridges that changed colour under lights.

Called Korowai, the work is based on the traditional cloak draped around ancestors’ shoulders. Two stainless steel figures based on a recurrent motif in Lardelli’s work were set inside the water as it froze into a block. Once sculpted, the ice korowai wrapped around the figurines.

Beleza Events’ Mara Weiss and Nego Beto organised the performance evening as a fundraiser for Gizzy School Lunches. Ice Block included DJs, pop-up acts, lighting effects and Lardelli’s on-site, live ice carving.

Considerable preparation went into the sculpture.

Lardelli and Beto found ice created from tap water tended to crack so they opted for pure, chemical-free water. They added a little colour to give the ice a subtle blue tinge.

Sculpting ice was not difficult, says Lardelli, an experienced carver. The soft ridges in the ice that suggest draped folds create a contrast of textures.

“You have the smooth with the rough. If you follow the contours of the work they wrap around the central symbol.”

The artist installed nearby a wooden pallet with the repeated motif of the figurine jigsawed out of the boards. Along with other works, the jigsawed pallet leaned against a wall and was illuminated from behind with changing light colours.

Found objects, such as the palette, are brought back to life when transformed into an artwork, says Lardelli.

“The lighting is like a life force. It’s about bringing the work to life with colour pulsating through negative space."