Street Art Utopia

Remember when this artist placed 1,000 melting ice sculptures in Berlin to show the effects of climate change?

June 1, 2025
By Vidar

In Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt square, Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo created a powerful art display to talk about climate change.

She placed 1,000 small ice sculptures on the steps of the square, each shaped like a person. As the day got warmer and the sun shone brighter, the sculptures began to melt. This showed how global warming is affecting our planet.

The event, organized with WWF Germany, focused on how the Arctic’s ice is melting faster than ever because of rising temperatures. This doesn’t just affect the Arctic—it impacts the whole world. Melting ice leads to rising sea levels and extreme weather, making it clear that we need to act fast.

As the ice figures melted, people watching the display started thinking about how fragile life is and how important it is to protect the environment. Azevedo’s art used a simple idea to send a big message about the need to fight climate change.

More on climate change: Climate Change Addressed Through Street Art (16 Powerful Images)

Close-up of melting ice figurines shaped like human figures sitting on the steps of Gendarmenmarkt square in Berlin, Germany. The sun shines brightly in the background, illuminating the scene and casting shadows. The sculptures, part of Nele Azevedo’s climate change art installation, symbolize the fragility of human life and the urgent need to address global warming. The historic architecture of the square and silhouettes of onlookers add depth to the striking visual message.

When the ice sculptures disappeared, they left a lasting memory for everyone who saw them. The melting showed how quickly we are losing time to fix climate change. It’s not just the ice that’s going away; it’s our chance to act.

Rows of tiny ice figurines shaped like human figures are placed on the steps of Gendarmenmarkt square in Berlin, Germany, as part of Nele Azevedo’s public art installation. The melting sculptures symbolize the rapid effects of global warming and draw attention to the fragility of life in the face of climate change. The installation, organized with WWF Germany, emphasizes the urgent need to address the climate crisis. A crowd of onlookers observes the powerful display.

The artist Nele Azevedo.

More on climate change: Politicians Discussing Climate Change (Street Art by Isaac Cordal)

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Discussion 1 comment

  1. Impressionant ! Ces photos sont extras ! C’est un peu la même configuration qu’à l’assemblée nationale ! ! !…:)

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