This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
Ata Ice Museum is an art and exhibition center located within the campus of Atatürk University in the Yakutiye district of Erzurum province. It holds the distinction of being Türkiye’s first and only ice museum. The facility maintains a constant temperature below zero by five degrees Celsius throughout the year, welcoming visitors without interruption. Situated in Erzurum, known as the capital of winter tourism, the museum keeps its doors open to both domestic and international guests all year round. It stands as Türkiye’s sole representative among ice museums found in cities such as Fairbanks, Moscow, Bristol, New York, Jeju Island, and Harbin. Developed under the New Generation University Design and Transformation Project, the center carries a mission to support art and artists.
Operating under the Faculty of Fine Arts, the museum offers students an alternative approach to art education by creating a new workshop environment. This structure contributes to enhancing Erzurum’s visibility on national and international platforms and aims to actively revitalize tourism activities in the region. Designed as one of the city’s primary venues for sociocultural and artistic events, the space adds a new dimension to the material diversity of contemporary art. The transfer of the facility into a virtual environment has brought about a digital transformation in traditional museum practices. This innovative step enables artistic works to reach diverse geographical areas through digital platforms while simultaneously expanding access to art.
Ata Ice Museum (Anadolu Ajansı)
The concept for the Ata Ice Museum originated in 2017 during the Snow and Ice Street initiative, part of the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) held in Erzurum. Organized under the leadership of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Atatürk University, this event marked a pivotal moment in encouraging the production of ice materials within the university. The institution’s ice and snow sculpture events, held since 1993 in various formats, generated a desire to consolidate this initiative under an institutional framework. The project, initiated by Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı, was implemented with support from the Ministry of Development and the Northeast Anatolia Development Agency (KUDAKA). A construction and preparation period lasting eighteen months was completed in 2019, bringing the facility to operational readiness.
The official opening of the museum took place on 15 July 2020, marking the fourth anniversary of 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day. However, even before the official opening, ice block production had already begun, and the institution participated in various events during the first quarter of the year. For instance, it played an active role in events such as DAKAF’20 and the Palandöken Festival. The opening exhibition was specially designed to preserve the memory of the resistance against the coup attempt and to honor the martyrs.
The Ata Ice Museum features a spacious exhibition area of 400 square meters and houses a range of specialized equipment. Within the museum, eight ice production machines have been installed for the creation of ice sculptures. In addition, sixteen ice mold machines form an integral part of the system. After eight days of continuous operation, each machine produces a maximum of two ice blocks. Each produced ice block weighs 300 kilograms and measures 100x50x50 centimeters with a transparent quality.
Despite the freezing internal environment, the facility includes auxiliary areas designed to enhance visitor comfort. In addition to the exhibition space, a warm social area has been constructed as part of the project, allowing visitors to relax and enjoy tea. The constant temperature of minus five degrees Celsius throughout the year ensures that ice sculptures retain their forms without melting. Thanks to continuous ice block production systems, artistic creation can proceed without interruption. With its advanced technical infrastructure, the Ata Ice Museum is planned to become one of the most effective venues in the city for future events.
The museum’s inaugural core exhibition, titled “Maan-Ice,” was curated under the leadership of Faculty of Fine Arts Dean Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bulat. This special collection, comprising nineteen ice sculptures, was completed after approximately two months of intensive work by a team of twenty. Following the opening exhibition, productions with different concepts continued, introducing visitors to various sculptures inspired by Anatolian mythologies. Among the exhibited works are representations of the map of Türkiye, the Turkish flag, Göbeklitepe, the Zümrüdü Anka bird, the Trojan Horse, and figures reflecting Erzurum’s cultural values. A fundamental principle of the institution is to integrate significant social events with diverse artistic dimensions and reflect them in ice.
Alongside its physical space, academic and artistic efforts are underway to integrate the museum into digital platforms. Using 3D modeling software such as SketchUp and Lumion, a digital twin of the facility has been created in virtual space. During this process, the physical properties of ice were successfully transferred into the digital environment, presenting architectural space and artistic works in harmonious unity. The implemented digital installations have produced innovative works that merge Erzurum’s natural and historical fabric with art. This digitalization process, supported by digital presentation boards, enables unrestricted access to art in terms of time and space.
History and Establishment Process
Physical Infrastructure and Technical Features
Exhibitions, Events, and Digital Transformation
