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Edited by: Declan Murphy Recommended: Ski/Snow Guide Suggested Itineraries Sapporo Snow Festival... Best ways to get there Hokkaido Photogallery Newsgroups: fj.rec.travel.japan, Alt-FAQ Bulletin Boards: Fun/Clubs/Nightlife Accommodation/Discounts Practise your Kanji?

One of the most interesting parts of the Sapporo Snow Festival is the increasingly famous International Snow Statue Competition - an event that commenced in 1974. The competition attracts a wide range of participants, from expatriates to artists flying in specifically for the event. There are usually about 2 dozen teams from nearly as many countries.

To get a better idea of what the competition is all about, I thought it would be more interesting if we skipped the "officialese" (the publicity blurb) and talked to some of the participants. It should be noted that while the event is a competition by name and is promoted as such by the organizers, amongst the "competitors" there is a good sense of camaraderie and cooperation.

Doing the rounds of the site, I met two members of the "Association of Australian Snow Sculpting", who were struggling (with many others) with the unseasonally warm air temperatures affecting the texture of the snow they were carving. We agreed to do an interview after they finished, so I went off to shoot the ice carvings at the Susukino site. When I returned to the site I found that they had packed it in for the night after a long day filled with frustration. With the help of some members of the New Zealand and French teams and local volunteers, I tracked down Julian Sault and Viktor Cebergs and invited them to join me in Dante's Bar at Sapporo's Korakuen Hotel.

Declan: "Julian and Viktor. Many thanks for coming along for the interview."
Viktor: "When you called the hotel room I was lying flat on the floor."
Julian: "I'd completely forgotten about the interview, it was such a frustrating day".

Beers are ordered......

Declan: "So, where do we start? What do you do when you aren't carving snow or drinking beer in Sapporo?"
Viktor: "I'm a professional sculptor and painter. Initially I painted, but later I began making small objects to display in front of paintings and started mixing media. I've also been doing some work with koori (Australian indigenous people) artists. "
Julian: "I'm a sculptor. When I'm not carving snow in Sapporo I guess I'm in Geelong (regional city of about 200,000 people in southern Australia southwest of Melbourne). Its about an hours drive from Melbourne."
Declan: "Is that where you are from?"
Julian: "Yeah, we're both from Geelong. Actually we've known each other from school because we're the same age.
Declan: "Is it easier to find good working space in Geelong than in Melbourne? I mean in places like Sydney its harder for artists who require space the way sculptors do."

Julian Sault at work

Julian: "Space is an serious issue. Its essential, but even with grants you need to scrounge for space."
Viktor: "Geelong is a bit cheaper, especially compared to the real estate in Melbourne which is much more expensive. I'm lucky, I've got an old hall to work in now. Plus its not far to Melbourne. I can regularly drive there and back to maintain contacts and keep fresh."
Declan: "And Melbourne is a lot cheaper than Sydney too isn't it? About half the rent or thereabouts. Is that possibly one of the reasons why sculptors like Ricky Swallow don't seem to emerge from Sydney?"
Julian: "Maybe. Space is certainly an issue."
Viktor: "The art scene up there (Sydney) is a bit different too. Melbourne is a bit darker."
Declan: "As reflected in the differences between Sydney in Melbourne in things like theater or film?"
Viktor: "I think so. Melbourne is a bit more cutting edge perhaps."

Declan: "Now this is your first time in the Sapporo Competition right? How has it been so far?"
Viktor: "There was of course a language barrier when we first came to Japan. But its surprisingly easy to find a way around it. We use a lot of sign language (laughing)
Julian: "...having some intepreters around helps a lot of course."
Declan: "Any major surprises? How was your first encounter with a Japanese style toilet for instance?
Viktor: "Yeah (laughing), there are some times when you have to step outside the cultural comfort zone. Its part of the fun.

Viktor Cebergs inside Platypus

Declan: "Whats it like carving under the gaze of the public eye? You wouldn't normally sculpt in situations like this would you?"
Julian: "Its good and bad. You've got kids coming up for signatures and local aussies dropping by to chat. Problem is that you have to concentrate on the task at hand, especially since the weather conditions this year are far from ideal."
Viktor: "I think here you need at least 2 people just to deal with the public. We are getting a lot of visitors, and one thing I've got to say for the exchange students from Tokyo who have represented Australia here in previous years, is that while they weren't sculptors they must have had a midas touch as far as PR. Aussies have a good rep here. So there is a lot of pressure on us to be friendly and give people time, which of course stops us from concentrating on the sculpture."
Declan: "How have people been reacting to the platypus."
Julian: "Great".
Declan: "Why did you choose to sculpt a platypus?"
Viktor: "One of the things here is that you really feel like you are representing your country - not just an individual sculptor. Also most others seem the same, not an individual expressing personality. Sculpting snow up in Nayoro city is a bit more abstract, more art. Here there's a bit more of a focus on fun."
Julian: "So a distinctly Australian animal seemed to be a good subject."

Design & description

Declan: "I'm still amazed that people here even know what it is, that its not some mythological creature."
Viktor: "Yeah. I mean ours is a little more abstract than many of the other sculptures we can see around us, but people wander up and look at the sign. They seem very educated and there is great respect for art here. Actually there just seems to be a greater respect for learning here in general."
Declan: "While I was over shooting the Susukino site tonight I remembered that I hadn't had lunch so I dropped into Mosburger for a bite to eat...."
Julian: "Mosburger?"
Declan: "Umm. The slowest fast food in Japan. Anyway a pair of young girls beside me were studying Chinese, and across the way from me was a guy reading a LINUX manual. I can't imagine seeing that often in say an Australian McDonald's hamburger joint."
Julian: "Me neither. And if you had an event like this, then when you came back to work in the morning the platypus would have a beer can stuck in its fucking arse... am I allowed to say that?"
Declan: "You just did..."
Julian: "...and there would be people throwing snowballs at you while you work. Sculptors don't get any respect in Australia. Here you feel honoured and you can sense the public's expectation."

Declan: "How did you first become involve in working with snow?"
Viktor: "A friend of Julian's dad actually. It started as an exchange thing, but he really wanted to come here."
Declan: "And compared to working with stone or wood?"
Julian: "The techniques are similar to stone and timber, its just that snow is so immediate."
Declan: "Apart from softness, how would you describe the medium. What exactly are you working with?"
Viktor: "Well each block of snow is 3 meters by 3.5 meters. Its just compacted snow that has been gathered up from the streets. Its good snow, but remember that its just from the streets and parks. So each block has slightly different characteristics. Some have some ice component, there some portions of each block will harder or softer too which complicates things further. Nothing is predictable."

The Platypus takes shape

Declan: "And you can't increase the amount of compaction?"
Julian: "No you just work with what you have. Thats another difference with stone or timber. Normally we can carefully select the source material, but here you get the block of snow and the workspace the organizers allocate. There's an element of luck involved."
Viktor: "And what has been allocated of course, can then change in texture if the weather changes, so you have to think quickly and adjust."
Declan: "That sounds really frustrating."
Viktor: "Its extremely frustrating! The temperatures are unseasonally warm. Apparently today was the warmest in 29 years and it was 6° celsius at one stage."
Julian: "At one time part of the foot we were working on just fell off. Just fell off! Its so warm that the snow becomes extremely soft material. I've never worked with any material this soft before."

Declan: "Have either of you carved snow like this before?"
Viktor: "Nope."
Julian: "I assisted once at Mount Buller."

French team versus 6° C

Second round of beers arrives....

Declan: (pause as picks up beer) "Did the experience at Mount Buller help much?"

Julian: (longer pause as picks up beer and drinks) "Not really".

Declan: "What about practise?"
Viktor: "People keep coming up and asking "where do you practice?" We keep saying "this is our practice!" And its true, we can't practice."
Declan: "Perhaps your association could establish a snow sculpting event in Falls Creek or Thredbo?"
Julian: "We'd probably need to shift it to New Zealand, or to a meatworks! Temperatures have been warm in Australia too and the good snow is now often only in more remote areas."
Declan: "So you could ski or snowshoe your way out into the back country and sculpt there, but nobody would see it?"
Julian: "Yeah. Snow is valuable stuff. A lot of the accessible snow at Mount Buller is from snowmaking equipment. The resorts aren't willing to provide much of it."

Swedish team sculpture

Declan: "One question about tools. Are the tools used for carving snow substantially different to what you usually use?"
Julian: "We receive some tools from the organizers, but for finishing of surfaces they are really inadequate."
Viktor: "So in keeping with tradition we beg, borrow or steal (laughing)."
Julian: "The New Zealanders are carving right next to us and the Canadians closeby are also very helpful."

Declan: "So it is not a dog eat dog competition. There is a lot of cooperation?"
Viktor: "Yes and No. Amongst teams from similar cultures like the Kiwis and the Canadians there is a lot of cooperation."
Julian: "Also amongst the professional artists participating."
Viktor: "Plus we have some tools we brought with us. Julian makes stuff at home. The tools have names - usually from horror films. There is "Sven the saw", and a hockey stick shaped tool we call "Jason".
Julian: "We ended up bringing about 25 kilo of kit with us from Oz."

Declan: "What about ice-carving? At the Susukino site tonight I was watching the ice carvers. They also seemed to be having similar problems with warm conditions, wouldn't that be easier to do in Australia? You could at least work indoors..."
Viktor: "I went to a symposium in Canada and carved ice there. With chain saws. I went with Glenn Smith, (an Australian ice carver) and John Brady (a renowned Australian chainsaw wood carver). I really enjoyed it and it was a great experience."

Lithuanian team sculpture

Declan: "Many of the participants here are ice carvers, especially the Asian participants."
Julian: "I thought they were chefs..."
Viktor: "Nuh, just carvers working in hotels are things".
Declan: "You mean like for weddings and receptions and stuff?"
Viktor: "Yeah."

Declan: "May I ask a few questions about funding?"
Julian: "Funding?"
Declan: "Yeah"
Julian: "Whats that?"
Declan: "(laughing) So nothing has changed then? I mean participating in this must be some serious money for an artist. Just getting here is expensive".
Viktor: "Grants were a real problem. In fact we got virtually zero support forthcoming even though Sapporo is such a major event."
Declan: "No support even from the Oz consulate here? I've was admiring the works sponsored by the Korean consulate all morning. Excellent stuff."
Viktor: "We asked and applied to the relevant bodies for assistance - even just to get some Australian pins to hand out considering how much of the work here ends up being PR for Australia's tourism industry...."
Julian: "Their response was basically, "you blokes should be paying us" and shit like that."
Viktor: "The only support we received in the end was some assistance from Japan Airlines."
Julian: "JAL gave us half price airfares, we can't thank them enough considering the other costs."
Viktor: "The Japan Australia Foundation came on board at the last minute, they are going to be taking us out to dinner."

Abstract sculpture in Nayoro

Declan: "(laughing) Well I guess thats something."
Julian: "Yeah. We'll get a good feed."
Viktor: "And the chance to do some schmoozing."

Declan: "Grants are always a problem though right?"
Viktor: "Yeah. In Australia its probably only about 10% of the creative population that would recive any funding. Better than some countries, worse than others."
Declan: "Are there any sculptors able to survive through commissions or funding alone? Even better known artists?"
Viktor: "Probably not. Actually though, in Victoria whenever there are major public works developments, about 5% of the budget is allocated to creative pieces. Thats making a substantial difference."

Declan: "I think thats about it. So where can people contact you or see some of your works after the platypus melts?"
Julian: "Guess that would be Swan Bay Gallery in Queenscliff."
Declan: "And whats next after the sculpture competition?"
Julian: "Um, we head up to Nayoro city."

USA team sculpture

Viktor: "Yeah. I'm really looking forward to it. Up there the artists are recruited direct from overseas so they aren't expats. Plus with the colder climate we should have better material to work with."
Julian: "After that its Osaka, and then we head home via Tokyo, though thats just a stop over really."

Declan: "Will you have the chance to see much here in Hokkaido?"
Viktor: "I'd like to. What is the name of the indigenous people here? They are indigenous right?"
Declan: "The Ainu people. Yes. They go back at least as far as the Jomon period, probably a lot further."
Viktor: "I saw some beautiful crafts and traditional costumes in a small shop."
Declan: "Some are genuine. Many aren't. Actually there's an interesting Ainu museum that is part of the University of Hokkaido campus. You could walk there if the platypus melts. Many of the exhibits are from Sakhalin island (part of Russia), but at least they are real."
Viktor: "And are there similarities in indigenous issues?"
Declan: "Very much so. The timescale of dispossesion was longer, but you have similar developments such as growing awareness of identity, and an increasing number of people identifying themselves as Ainu in the census. I think there are about 25,000 or so. Land claims are also making the news."

Viktor Cebergs & Julian Sault

Viktor: "What about the coastline of Hokkaido? We saw a bit flying in. Would that be worth seeing."
Declan: "Yeah, but maybe not in mid-winter though. You might like Hakodate City, it has some great night scenery with its harbour and the coast is easily accessed."
Julian: "Sounds good."
Declan: "If you have the chance its worth seeing. Well, many thanks for the interview and good luck with the competition."
Julian: "Cheers!"

second round of beers gets finished and photos taken....