Instafrost

Commissioned by EEA for the Thamesmead Light Trail in November 2021, Instafrost is a light sculpture crafted from locally sourced natural and recycled materials—willow branches from Somerset and a reclaimed parachute from a skydiving school in Sussex.

Instafrost takes the shape of a dripping steppe horse, symbolising the thawing of permafrost in regions such as Alaska, Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau, Canada, Scandinavia, Greenland, and Russia. 

Using reclaimed and natural materials was essential to create Instafrost, as was the final choice of a white parachute over the initially planned striped version. The parachute allows the sculpture to “breathe” with the November cold breeze, imparting a ghostly aura to Instafrost.