Okamoto Studio Carves 14 Ice Sculptures for a ‘Grace-ful’ Installation in Midtown Manhattan

If you are a chess fanatic, you may remember the great upset that came in 1997 when, for the first time, a computer system beat a world champion under regular time controls. The game between Russian chess champion Gary Kasparov and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Blue_(chess_computer)">Deep Blue</a>, the IBM computer, inspired this beautiful 14-piece ice sculpture installation. Hosted by <a href="http://www.artsbrookfield.com/index.htm">Arts Brookfield</a> and sculpted by <a href="http://www.okamotostudionyc.com/">Okamoto Studios</a>, the 24-hour installation took place this Monday and Tuesday at <a href="http://brookfieldofficeproperties.com/content/midtown/grace_building-10534.html">Grace Plaza</a> in midtown amidst above-freezing temperatures.

The real feat came in completing four queens and kings from scratch in the two hour period.

With a client list that includes Nike, the Plaza Hotel, the NY Yankees among others, the team once again lived up to their renowned reputation.

A series of 14 hand sculpted five-foot-tall pawns, knights and queens invaded Grace Plaza this past Monday night.

Okamoto is renown for their detailed ice sculpting skills.

To re-create the classic black and white pieces in a unique way, the team worked with water's natural properties to create two distinct looks.

The higher than average temperatures added an additional element- that of a poetic, fleeting moment that constantly changes the state of the sculptures.