AlvaGallagher
Visual Artist
MONUMENTS | Alva Gallagher
MONUMENTS is a new body of work exploring glacier preservation that I will develop during 2025 United Nations International Year of Glacier's Preservation
Monuments
Aimed to raise awareness on the vital role glaciers, snow and ice play in our climate system and water cycle, as well as far reaching impacts of rapid glacial melts; Monuments will present foreboding effigies of these great pillars of ice in the modern urban environment. Cast in solid crystal and harnessed from molds taken directly from the shrinking ice within the Arctic circle and our own Glaciers here in Banff National Park, chiefly the Athabasca Glacier and the Saskatchewan Glacier within the Columbia ice field, the largest ice field south of the Arctic; Monuments will flash freeze and immortalise these retreating giants.
These giant solid crystal ice sculptures will preserve a moment in time and will animate the intricate tapestry woven between the ice, the sea and the human condition with the profound depths of existence.
With Monuments, the process of ice melt will become a poignant symbol of global
warming, of time's passage, echoing the transformative nature of our
atmosphere. Using the mediums of glass and bronze, this work will present
sculptures that bridge the gap between solidity and fluidity, inviting contemplation
on the fragility of moments held in suspension, using the ice as the relatable narrative figure before then
passing away.
Monuments will fuse sculpture with advanced technology to produce a series of large lost wax cast crystal pieces. The installation will capture the poignant stages of glacial melting. Intertwining themes of ice, human existence and the passage of time. Through this intricate process I will transform the transitory beauty of melting icebergs into timeless crystal sculpture. Inviting viewers to contemplate the profound interplay between nature and the human condition.
In the first image above the work is standing tall and alive. This is the beginning of Monuments. In this image, the installation is represented as imposing, standing glaciers, which draw their influence from ancient stone circles. The individual sculptures have their own personality. Together they portray a gathering of familiar human-like forms.
Below is the second advanced maquette for Monuments depicting the culmination or end-point of the installation. This rendering represents a funeral scenario; the death of a glacier that once was a monument. By preserving the end of a glacier in glass, we are reminded of their importance. Glaciers are ancient and ever-changing holding within them the history of our earth's climate. This image captures their grandeur and fragility. While the circle arrangement of the first image above echoes the cyclical nature of time and the enduring presence of these majestic formations, Image 2 below captures their demise. This installation emulates their departure. A call to action for preservation. Standing at a pivotal moment in our environmental history, Monuments serves as a poignant reminder of what we will lose. It is an invitation to reflect and to recognize the urgency to protect glaciers.
Through this installation, I will immortalize the melting ice and evoke themes of grief, loss, and climate change; creating conceptual portraits with ephemeral bubbles suspended within, echoing the rhythm of our breath. Each piece will be a narrative of vanishing landscapes, a cry for the preservation of our planet, and a reminder of the transient nature of life itself. The sculptures will invite viewers to reflect on their role in the ongoing environmental crisis and to find a deeper connection with the natural world.
This installation is my homage to the melting icebergs, a requiem for their loss, and a
call to action. It is a visual elegy that speaks of beauty, memory, and the urgent need
for change.
