Icebergs have long captivated the artistic imagination, their vast and enigmatic forms serving as symbols of nature’s power, beauty, and fragility. For over two centuries, artists like Albert Bierstadt, Lawren Harris, and Caspar David Friedrich have immortalized these majestic formations, exploring their sculptural presence and mysterious origins. Today, as the world confronts the escalating effects of climate change, the iceberg assumes new symbolic weight—becoming, as it were, a memento mori for the natural world.

Something Blue brings together a diverse group of contemporary artists— Spencer Finch, Manami Ishimura, Pierre Huyghe, Peggy Weil, Iris Haussler, Douglas Coupland, Claire Greenshaw, and others—to examine the iceberg as both material and metaphor. Inspired by research from the lab of Kenyon faculty member Dr. Ruth Heindel, this exhibition seeks to portray aspects of the physical world that are beyond human comprehension, using, for example, the phenomenon of blue ice—a striking visual occurrence caused by centuries of compressed ice—to frame a meditation on the slow, inexorable changes that are reshaping our planet.

The works in this exhibition invite viewers to reflect on what is at stake as we navigate the complexities of our climate crisis. Through varied media and perspectives, the artists investigate the symbolic, aesthetic, and ecological dimensions of icebergs. Their representations speak to the fragility of these natural formations, offering a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of human and environmental systems. Something Blue is an invitation to collective critical thinking. By presenting icebergs as both sublime phenomena and harbingers of environmental vulnerability, the exhibition prompts us to grapple with the unknowns of a warming world. Through this lens, the artists transform the iceberg into more than a motif—they make it a site for questions, hope, and reflection.