Trotter&Sholer is proud to partner with Kiehl’s Since 1851 to unveil Archiving Ice: Notes on the Ephemeral, a collection of glass-sculpted ice by queer artist Caroline Landau. Timed to coincide with World Refill Day (June 16), the installation demonstrates both the fragility and resilience of our planet and a warning about our impact on the natural world.
The collection documents the climate crises by taking molds of melting ice in Svalbard, Newfoundland and California. As glaciers melt and break off into icebergs and wash ashore, Landau used wax and a camping stove to take molds. Returning to the glass studio, Landau replicates the ice form in blown glass, refilling the sculptured icebergs with the glacier water first collected while making the initial molds. Capturing the impressions of the ice, Landau documents the acceleration of the climate crises in the melting north. The exhibition features Landau’s sculptures as well and a video work they created with videographer and photographer Oliver Rye.
“As a fellow of the Arctic Circle Artist Residency in Svalbard, Norway I saw firsthand how our warming planet is threatening nature,” says Landau. “My art is meant to be a warning of our impact on the natural world; however the gravity of the climate crises can feel abstract and overwhelming as an individual. I’m thrilled to partner with Kiehl’s Since 1851 to empower individuals to live with less waste by refilling and reusing beloved products.”
An old-world apothecary founded in New York’s East Village neighborhood over 170 years ago, Kiehl’s Since 1851 is committed to driving a more circular economy, by designing its products to be re-used, refilled or made of recycled materials by 2030. Kiehl’s offers a variety of face, body, and hair formula favorites in refill pouches, including their #1 moisturizer, Ultra Facial Cream (UFC).
“Small actions lead to big impact,” says Maggie Kervick, Global Head of Sustainability, Kiehl’s Since 1851. “Rather than using multiple bottles and jars to package the same formula, Kiehl’s refill pouches use 61-81% less plastic. Kiehl’s used 122 less tons of plastic to cover 2024 product production through refill formats*. That is the equivalent to the weight of 1.7 million 50ml jars.”
Archiving Ice: Notes on the Ephemeral will be on view at Trotter&Sholer on 168 Suffolk Street, New York, NY, 10002 from June 5 to July 5, 2025. The opening celebration will be held June 12 from 5 – 8 pm. The exhibition is hosted in connection to World Refill Day, a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste.
