Memories of the Melted
A Data-Driven preformance on Climate Change.
Showing the past, present and possible futures of Glaciers.
A total of 10% of the Rhône Glaciers ice volume has disappeared over a period of just two years. Not only is it a clear indication of what we lost, but also what is there to come.
By combining 130.000 datapoints from past and future projection data, we developed a model that provides a glimpse into potential future scenarios for the Rhône Glacier.
Every note shifted the meltwater. Every change in tempo moved a droplet. Showing that everyone can influence a part, and together, the pathway.
In honour of the Year of Glacier’s preservation proclaimed by the United Nations, top glaciologists Matthias Huss and Heïdi Sevestre have joined ecological artist Thijs Biersteker and world-renowned violinist SongHa Choi in a singular art-and-science collaboration. Made from 130,000 glacier data points, a real-time generative model of the Rhône Glacier is built that depicts the various scenarios we can still choose, giving a glimpse into the future of the glacier.
During this special performance for an audience of policymakers and system-change leaders, each drip of the glacier’s meltwater responded to the rhythm, tones, and frequencies of the sound of SongHa’s violin play. The work proved how facts and feelings together make the future of our glaciers tangible, understandable, and profoundly emotional.
How this piece came to be:
After I read it was the UN Year of glaciers’ preservation, I looked up my own favourite glacier—the Rhône Glacier. I was shocked at its state. As an artist who mixes art and science, that was my cue...
After a year of crunching complex data sets, elevation maps, and water-and-ice-mass equations, we could trace a single drop sliding off the glacier’s ridges.
Guided by Matthias Huss and Heïdi Sevestre, the model—built on 130,000 data points—traces our journey from 1800 to today and projects the paths that lie ahead. What happens in thirty years if we keep burning fossil fuel (hint: the glacier is gone)? What if our leaders stay frozen? Or choose the sustainable path?
We designed the model not for scientists, but for everyone. Denisa, Sophie, Rahsaan, and others iterated hundreds of times, staying true to data, and finding a balance between Gongbi (Chinese painting style) elegance and precision and factual clarity.
We wanted to demonstrate the impact an individual can have. To bring this to life, someone special stepped in to create a musical performance inspired by the artwork. Violinist SongHa Choi, who sells out concert halls worldwide, performed three Bach pieces—one for each pathway—and the past.
Every note nudged a stream, every rhythm change tipped a droplet, proving that individual actions ripple through to the whole.
A few hundred metres from the Rhône, we performed live, for the first time, at the prestigious Villars Summit—before an audience of top scientists, conservationists, philanthropists, and system-change leaders. They followed the story from model, to pathways, to performance. When SongHa played the fossil-fuel passage and the glacier vanished completely, the screen—and the theatre lights—went black. Ninety seconds later, the lights returned on visible tears.
“Tears—best impact measure you can get,” someone joked.
They didn’t just see data or understand science—they felt it. From sound controller to CEO, everyone was moved—and empowered—to act.
We can show melting-ice photos. We can present spreadsheets. We can hear urgent talks. But when facts and feelings combine, even the most influential audience shifts, and shifting people shift societies.
Commissioned by
Villars Institute
Artist
Thijs Biersteker
Violinist
SongHa Choi
Glacier Scientists
Heïdi Sevestre, Matthias Huss
Generative modeling
Denisa Půbalová
Sustainable Production
Woven Studio
Studio Director
Sophie de Krom
Technical lead
Tomáš Potůček
Audio Engineer
Rahsaan Bleijs
Video editor
Evelyne Adeyinka
Special thanks to
The Robert Dunand Prize, The Villars Institute, The Villars Music Academy, Montreux Jazz Festival, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Lee Howell, Joëlle Chevalley, Roman Guggisberg, Mathieu Jaton, Andrea Bandelli, Emma Benameur, Chiara Brouwer, Cobi Berculo, Daan van der Sman, Kenyan Mayet and all involved.
MEMORIES OF THE MELTED
The interactive project.
Memories of the Melted" has an interactive installation alongside the concert version—created to use the same model but to spread its message even further. This version allows visitors to control time and temperature through simple hand gestures: swiping left or right scrolls through the years, while moving up or down adjusts the global temperature pathway.
Shown to over 250,000 visitors at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the piece responds instantly: the glacier model shifts, cracks form, and through an interactive pumping system, meltwater begins to fall faster, dripping visibly over the sculpture. Every gesture alters the scenarios, making the consequences of our choices tangible—empowering visitors with the realisation that change is, quite literally, in our hands.
Find out more here
Premiered July 2024 at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Research and
collaboration
Commisioner
Villars Institute
News article
Two catastrophic years obliterate 10% of Swiss glacier volume
Collaboration
Heïdi Sevestre
Collaboration
Matthias Huss
About the Scientists and the Science
“Memories of the Melted” uses glacier data to create a generative artwork that clearly illustrates the changes glaciers have undergone and their projected future. By combining historical, present, and future data, the piece provides a clear and measurable narrative of glacier decline and its implications.
This project combines over 131,900 data points from several key datasets. The glacier inventories (SGI1850 and SGI2016) document glacier extents from the 19th century to the present, providing a comprehensive timeline of glacier coverage. Historical elevation models (from ca. 1880) show how glacier thickness and surface height have changed over time. Annual mass balance datasets (2023 release) measure yearly thickness losses, offering precise trends of retreat.
Ice thickness and bedrock maps (ETHZ release) provide subsurface data critical for understanding glacier dynamics. Future projections, available as simplified shapefiles, make it easier to assess potential glacier coverage under different climate scenarios. This is the first time these datasets have been combined into a generative art project, dynamically interacting to represent glacier systems. The approach uses precise scientific data to create a clear and impactful visualization of climate change’s effects on glaciers.
Matthias Huss is a Swiss glaciologist leading the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) program at ETH Zurich. He has published extensively on glacier mass balance and the implications of melting ice for water resources.
“Glaciers are the ambassadors of climate change. Visualizing their rapid decline using art is a fantastic way to bring a strong message across to the crowd.” – Matthias
Heïdi Sevestre is a French glaciologist recognized for her work on bridging science, policy, and public awareness. She has conducted research in polar regions and mountainous areas worldwide, contributing critical insights into glacier dynamics and climate impacts.
Their collaborative expertise lends credibility and depth to the data showcased in Memories of the Melted, ensuring that each drip of water and every shift in the ice sheet reflects genuine scientific insights into the world’s rapidly receding glaciers.
The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios are a framework used to explore how global societal choices, such as economic growth, inequality, and sustainability, interact with climate change mitigation and adaptation. They range from SSP1 (sustainable development) to SSP5 (fossil-fueled growth), representing pathways with varying levels of greenhouse gas emissions and societal resilience.
Key Resources:
The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation
Safeguarding glaciers—our planet’s “water towers”—is more urgent than ever. National Geographic underscores how these ice giants provide essential freshwater for billions, regulate local climates, and support biodiversity. Bloomberg also cautions that their rapid melt threatens water security, agriculture, and hydropower generation in vulnerable regions worldwide. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions, implementing sustainable water management, and investing in scientific research, we can protect these fragile ecosystems. Collaboration between governments, communities, and industries is the key to preserving glaciers for future generations. They stand as a testament to our planet’s delicate balance—and it’s up to us to keep it intact. Every measure counts in ensuring their survival.
Tajikistan-led UN Glaciers Initiative has propelled the United Nations General Assembly to designate 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation—an urgent global call to protect our planet’s vital freshwater reserves from the perils of climate change. Supported by the broader UN system, including the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UNESCO, this initiative underscores the dire consequences of glacier melt on water security, agriculture, and local ecosystems. It unites member states, civil society, and private sector partners to champion research, policy dialogue, and capacity-building, ultimately driving public engagement to safeguard glaciers—the critical “water towers” sustaining biodiversity and livelihoods worldwide.
