Comment on “Natural beauty of modern art philosophy: evaluation of the art form of sport ice and snow sculpture in landscape architecture”Chen, Chen, Chen (2025) provides a detailed and comprehensive examination of ice and snow sculptures through the lens of modern art philosophy, with particular emphasis on the idea of natural beauty and its role in landscape architecture. It approaches the subject by situating ice and snow sculpture as a unique artistic practice, deeply embedded in both cultural traditions and contemporary debates in aesthetics. The author successfully contextualizes ice and snow sculpture not only within the practicalities of landscape architecture but also in relation to the broader philosophical concepts of modern art, such as individual expression, ecological aesthetics, and the dynamic interaction between humans and nature. However, while the article offers rich insights and makes a substantial contribution to this interdisciplinary discussion, there are areas where its arguments could be more critically refined, expanded, or more explicitly situated in dialogue with alternative perspectives.
The article begins with a clear focus on the evolution of modern art philosophy and its departure from the rigid frameworks of classical aesthetics. This grounding is important because it sets up the intellectual foundation for linking natural beauty to a transient and fragile medium like ice and snow. The author draws on Carroll’s (2011, p. 370) view that “[...] the artistic expression of this period presented unprecedented diversity and experimentation, breaking the boundaries of traditional art and emphasizing the independence and aesthetic freedom of individual creators”. This provides a compelling rationale for extending modern artistic philosophy into the evaluation of temporary sculptural forms. Yet, one might question whether the scope of modern art, as defined here, is stretched too far. While it is accurate that modern art stressed experimentation, its chronological and stylistic limits mean that to fully understand ice and snow sculptures, it might be more appropriate to incorporate contemporary art discourse, particularly environmental and participatory art practices from the late 20th and 21st centuries.
The discussion of natural beauty is one of the article’s strongest sections. The claim that modern art philosophy regards natural beauty as a theoretical existence and a means of reflecting on aesthetic activities related to nature (Xu; Kong, 2019) is persuasive, as it emphasizes both the conceptual and experiential dimensions of beauty. Kant’s Critique of Judgment is rightly invoked, highlighting that beauty lies not only in the harmony of form but also in its capacity to evoke pleasure. This connection is directly relevant to ice and snow sculpture, which depends on visual impact as well as emotional resonance. However, the article does not sufficiently confront the tension between Kant’s idea of universality in judgments of taste and the culturally specific practices of ice and snow festivals in China, Japan, or the Nordic countries. Although the text notes that Chinese traditions emphasize scale and magnificence while Japanese traditions highlight community participation, it does not sufficiently unpack the deeper philosophical implications of these cultural divergences.
The distinction between figurative and abstract sculpture is useful in categorizing artistic forms. The article rightly notes that figurative sculptures often draw from plants, animals, or recognizable symbols, while abstract sculptures encourage subjective interpretation and flexibility. Maldonado (2023) highlights that modern art constantly negotiates the balance between abstraction and concreteness, and applying this to snow sculpture makes sense. Nevertheless, the analysis could have been more critical in evaluating whether abstract snow sculptures truly achieve the philosophical depth ascribed to them. Because of their brevity of existence and dependence on weather conditions, abstract ice sculptures may not have the same staying power or interpretive richness as abstract works in other media. Edmonds (2020) suggests that digital or interactive arts offer greater potential for abstraction because they allow repeated engagement, whereas snow sculptures, by their very temporality, might limit deeper abstraction. A stronger comparative analysis here would enrich the article’s claims.
One of the most innovative elements in the article is its consideration of technology, particularly the integration of digital tools and virtual reality in ice and snow sculpture. The reference to Shen et al. (2024) and Chen (2024) opens an exciting discussion on how new technologies extend the expressive potential of natural beauty. “Virtual reality exemplifies how technology is offering artists new ways to immerse themselves and their audiences in simulated natural environments” (Shen, 2024, p. 632). This point is highly relevant, as it acknowledges that even ephemeral works can gain permanence or expanded meaning through digital mediation. Nevertheless, this section might have benefited from a deeper critique: does the digital simulation of natural beauty risk undermining the very material and transient qualities that make ice and snow sculpture unique? While the fusion of tradition and technology creates novel experiences, it may also dilute the authenticity of the encounter with natural impermanence. A sharper engagement with this paradox would strengthen the analysis.
The conclusions reiterate the importance of integrating natural beauty with landscape architecture, emphasizing that ice and snow sculptures enrich urban spaces and stimulate tourism. This is a valid and significant claim, but the philosophical depth could have been pushed further. Livingston (2024) reminds us that the ontology of art distinguishes between the material vehicle, and the enduring qualities of art. Ice and snow sculptures challenge this distinction in fascinating ways, since their vehicle literally disappears with time. The article gestures at this problem but does not fully explore its implications for art ontology. Engaging with this more rigorously would add weight to the conclusion and align with ongoing philosophical debates.
Overall, the article offers a valuable and original contribution to the interdisciplinary study of sport ice and snow sculpture, modern art philosophy, and landscape architecture. It successfully demonstrates that such sculptures embody not only aesthetic qualities but also cultural, ecological, and technological meanings. At the same time, the paper’s reliance on modern art philosophy could be broadened through deeper engagement with ecological aesthetics, contemporary art discourse, and the dialectical tensions between harmony and fragility, authenticity and digital mediation, as well as abstraction and impermanence. Incorporating these perspectives would allow the analysis to move beyond its occasionally idealized framing and toward a more critical and comprehensive understanding of ice and snow sculpture as a complex cultural and philosophical practice.
References
- CARROLL, N. History and the Philosophy of Art. Journal of the Philosophy of History, v. 5, n. 3, p. 370-382, 2011.
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CHEN, J. H.; CHEN, J. X.; CHEN, L. Q. Natural beauty of modern art philosophy: evaluation of the art form of sport ice and snow sculpture in landscape architecture. Trans/Form/Ação: Unesp journal of philosophy, Marília, SP, v. 48, n. 03, p. e0250019, 2025. Available at: https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/16548
» https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/16548 - CHEN, Y. Z. Research on the Application of Three-Dimensional Virtual Reality Technology in Landscape Architecture Design. Journal of Electrical Systems, v. 20, n. 6, p. 56-63, 2024.
- EDMONDS, E. A. A Journey from Abstract Film to Concrete Interaction. Digital Creativity, v. 31, n. 3, p. 147-155, 2020.
- LIVINGSTON, P. History of the Ontology of Art. Stanford: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2024.
- MALDONADO, T. The Abstract and the Concrete in Modern Art. ARTMargins, v. 12, n. 1, p. 135-142, 2023.
- SHEN, X. W.; MARY, G. P.; NIALL, G. K. Transformative Impact of Technology in Landscape Architecture on Landscape Research: Trends, Concepts and Roles. Land, v. 13, n. 5, p. 630-653, 2024.
- XU, X. Y.; KONG, N. N. Devalued Aesthetics: Historical Interpretations and Contemporary Reflections on Natural Beauty. Journal of Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology: Social Science Edition, v. 38, n. 1, p. 44-49, 2019.
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Data availability statement:
The dataset for this article is available in the SciELO Dataverse of the Trans/Form/Ação Journal, at the link: https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-3173.2025.v48.n3.e025177
The dataset for this article is available in the SciELO Dataverse of the Trans/Form/Ação Journal, at the link: https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-3173.2025.v48.n3.e025177
