International Team Creates Ice Nativity Sculpture in Graz, Austria

An international ice sculpting team has finished creating the ice sculpture Nativity scene in Graz, Austria. The team has created the ice artwork every year since 1996. Gert J. Hoedl, Artist and Project Lead, said in a statement, "The project is a nativity scene of ice. That is - in the world - the only one in these dimensions. The last sixteen years it's been very, very successful and a motive for the tourists. All the weekends are full in Graz, so I'm very proud to head the idea for sixteen years."

The sculpture is on display at Landhaushof, a renaissance courtyard in the center of Graz. It is over 5 meters tall and is lit with colored lights. Each block of ice weights 120 kilograms. The team used 50.4 tons of ice for the project. It is the biggest sculpture of its kind in the world. Take a look: