Ashes of Cold, 2025
Installation, melting ice and natural pigments
In the environmental art project Ashes of the Cold, young artist Elena Tengri — originally
from Yakutia, the coldest inhabited place on Earth, and now living in Cyprus — brings an
ancient Siberian legend into the context of today’s climate anxiety. She draws inspiration
from the Yakut myth of the Bull of Cold: a giant spirit rising from the Arctic Ocean, whose
breath brings the harsh winter to her homeland, where temperatures can fall to –70 °C. At
the end of winter, the bull’s horns fall to the ground and melt, and the cold retreats and
warmth returns to land. In this project, the melting horns become a metaphor for global
warming.
from Yakutia, the coldest inhabited place on Earth, and now living in Cyprus — brings an
ancient Siberian legend into the context of today’s climate anxiety. She draws inspiration
from the Yakut myth of the Bull of Cold: a giant spirit rising from the Arctic Ocean, whose
breath brings the harsh winter to her homeland, where temperatures can fall to –70 °C. At
the end of winter, the bull’s horns fall to the ground and melt, and the cold retreats and
warmth returns to land. In this project, the melting horns become a metaphor for global
warming.
In the relentless Egyptian sunshine, artist creates horns sculpted from ice and snow — it is
six meters long and weighs seven tons. They rise in the desert like a fragile reminder of cold
that is slowly vanishing from our planet. Yet unlike in the legend, here the melting of the
horns is not a promise of spring, but a sign of nature’s disappearing balance.
As simple and universal materials, ice and snow reflect how fragile we are. As the sculpture
slowly melts, it leaves behind only water sinking into the sand. This ephemerality underlines
the central idea: the climate crisis rarely erupts in a single dramatic event. More often it
unfolds quietly, gradually, and inexorably.
six meters long and weighs seven tons. They rise in the desert like a fragile reminder of cold
that is slowly vanishing from our planet. Yet unlike in the legend, here the melting of the
horns is not a promise of spring, but a sign of nature’s disappearing balance.
As simple and universal materials, ice and snow reflect how fragile we are. As the sculpture
slowly melts, it leaves behind only water sinking into the sand. This ephemerality underlines
the central idea: the climate crisis rarely erupts in a single dramatic event. More often it
unfolds quietly, gradually, and inexorably.
Each type of visual aid has pros and cons that must be evaluated to ensure it will be beneficial to the overall presentation. Before incorporating visual aids into speeches, the speaker should understand that if used incorrectly, the visual will not be an aid, but a distraction. Planning ahead is important when using visual aids.
It is necessary to choose a visual aid that is appropriate for the material and audience. The purpose of the visual aid is to enhance the presentation.
It is necessary to choose a visual aid that is appropriate for the material and audience. The purpose of the visual aid is to enhance the presentation.
Elena Tengri
Artist
The human cost is already most visible in hot and vulnerable regions. Over 4 billion people
worldwide experience severe water scarcity at least one month per year, and by 2025, 1800
million people are expected to be living in countries or regions with “absolute” water scarcity.
Droughts destroy harvests, drive food prices up, and force millions to leave their homes.
Countries with arid climates, including Egypt, are on the frontline of this struggle: every year,
millions suffer from lack of clean water, heat-related illnesses, and polluted air.
Ashes of the Cold is not only a gesture of loss, but an invitation to reflect. The audience
becomes a witness to a process that cannot be stopped. The work reminds us that the
cycles and seasons we once trusted are not eternal — and that the comfort we take for
granted can disappear as quietly as ice and snow melting in the desert sun.
worldwide experience severe water scarcity at least one month per year, and by 2025, 1800
million people are expected to be living in countries or regions with “absolute” water scarcity.
Droughts destroy harvests, drive food prices up, and force millions to leave their homes.
Countries with arid climates, including Egypt, are on the frontline of this struggle: every year,
millions suffer from lack of clean water, heat-related illnesses, and polluted air.
Ashes of the Cold is not only a gesture of loss, but an invitation to reflect. The audience
becomes a witness to a process that cannot be stopped. The work reminds us that the
cycles and seasons we once trusted are not eternal — and that the comfort we take for
granted can disappear as quietly as ice and snow melting in the desert sun.
The timelapse captures the melting of a seven-ton ice sculpture over nearly 60 hours. What feels like several days to a human becomes a fleeting moment for the sculpture - a stark reminder that the cold we once considered eternal can vanish almost instantly under the pressure of heat.
The timelapse condenses this vanishing into a few seconds, mirroring how climate change compresses long cycles of nature into abrupt shifts. What we assume will last, melts before our eyes.
The timelapse condenses this vanishing into a few seconds, mirroring how climate change compresses long cycles of nature into abrupt shifts. What we assume will last, melts before our eyes.
Ashes of Cold Timelapse
Timelapse of a seven-ton ice sculpture melting in the desert over nearly 60 hours.
PHOTO CREDITS: Amir Talaat comissioned by Elena Tengri
© All rights reserved. Please do not use without permission.
All text, photo, and video materials belong to their owners and are for demonstration purposes only. Please do not use them in commercial projects.
© All rights reserved. Please do not use without permission.
All text, photo, and video materials belong to their owners and are for demonstration purposes only. Please do not use them in commercial projects.
