Eleven volunteers in Finland under the instruction of a non-professional artist took thousands of steps in geometric figures on the snow, creating an ephemeral work of art.
Under the tutelage of neighbor and hobbyist artist Janne Pyykko, volunteers used snowshoes to step on the accumulated snow on a golf course near the capital Helsinki, creating markings in the shape of a five-pointed star surrounded by six huge snowflakes. .
The work, completed in two days, measures about 160 meters (525 feet) in diameter. It is probably the largest snow stamping work of art in the history of the Nordic country, reported the local daily Helsingin Sanomat.
“It was a social challenge as well as a visual challenge,” Pyykko, who draws inspiration from visual effects and has previously drawn shapes on the snow, told The Associated Press.
When speaking of the social challenge, Pyykko was referring to the difficulty of leading a group of people to recreate a geometric design created by computer, showcased in a YouTube video created by Pyykko.
The volunteers used tape measures and string to stick to the design and reproduce it in the snow.
“There is something in the human brain that loves the circular figure,” Pyykko said, emphasizing that the best way to see the work is from the air.
He stressed that the exact reproduction of the design by volunteers using snowshoes required great coordination on the ground.
Pyykko admits that the work would be ephemeral, as it will be erased by the next snowfall or the wind.
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