Artistic icebergs float on River Exe

Icebergs have been spotted on the River Exe.

These are not the cause of an unusually cold early summer; they are part of a unique floating art installation that pays tribute to modern Arctic expeditions.

The Melt, a public art project by Anthony Garrat, floats giant, double-sided paintings of Arctic icebergs on swinging moorings.

You can see the artwork from Exeter’s Quayside, just downstream from the Butts Ferry.

Exeter City Council’s canal and waterway teams assisted with the installation.

While poetically nodding to the demise of these geographical marvels, the project also pays tribute to the spirit of modern exploration.

The artist’s website says: “In a reference to time and changing global landscapes, as the paintings swing on their moorings and on each switch of the tide, the reverse of the painting panels will depict paintings of icebergs, referencing photographs of Arctic icebergs from the1800s.

Modern-day explorers Ella Hibbert and Jim McNeil were the Melt's original sources for inspiration. 

Ella, a young but already accomplished sailor, is attempting to become the first person ever to circumnavigate the Arctic nonstop and solo on a self-sufficient sailing boat.

Ella’s adventure sends an important message because it indicates that the North West and North East ice sheets open up enough during the summer months to make the challenge and record attempt feasible.

Jim McNeil leads a citizen science voyage, named Global Warrior, which sails to the Arctic and trains members of the public to collect real-time scientific data. Both Ella and Jim will supply the artist with photographs taken on their expeditions.

Anthony has painted giant, five-metre-long depictions of these monumental, melting calves of ice and then mounted them on specifically designed structures to float in tidal locations on their own dedicated swinging moorings. Though Anthony has never seen an iceberg, he has built a fascination with and respect for them through painting.