Capturing the Ephemeral Beauty of Europe’s Glaciers
A Tribute to Their Magnificence and Fragility
It all started in 2018, when a vast slab of ice broke loose from the edge of the Jostedalsbreen glacier in Norway. Breathtakingly beautiful, and at the same time painfully finite. A fleeting moment that set Dutch photographers and filmmakers Merel Klomp and Elmar Janse on a journey across Europe to document glaciers before they disappear.
About the Glacier Project
Since then, the long-term project has taken them across Europe, from France and Norway to Iceland, capturing the fragile beauty of glaciers. Their work documents the many stages of the glacial
process: the mass of the glacier itself, braided rivers, moulins, moraines, meltwater erosion, and human intervention. Merel and Elmar reframe these elements through the lens of art.
As glaciers retreat further into the mountains, reaching them requires long approaches. Steep climbs and days of physical effort follow, carrying gear across unstable terrain at high altitude. For several years in a row, they have visited the Mer de Glace. A place where the rapid retreat of the glacier is clearly visible, covered in debris caused by rockfall and glacial erosion. Yet they always seek the glacier’s beauty in their work.
“The focus is not on the tragic, but mostly on the sublime nature has to offer. We believe awareness begins with wonder,” says Merel. By using aesthetics to inspire change, their work invites reflection rather than reaction.
Each journey begins with careful preparation: studying terrain, planning access, and tracking weather. Yet nature always has the final word. Unexpected changes often shape the images.
“Besides that we’ve learned that you have to go outside as often as you can to increase the chance of seeing the unexpected. For example, on the Moiry Glacier in Switzerland, the forecast promised clear skies. But upon arrival at Cabane de Moiry, the glacier was hidden behind clouds. We waited patiently until the sky briefly cleared, revealing the tips of the calving glacier emerging from the mist and forming an abstract and striking landscape,” says Elmar.
“And I also remember the Bossons Glacier in Chamonix. After a long hike to the glacier’s foot on a crisp autumn day, golden hour gave way to blue hour. As the light faded and the temperature dropped, the ice revealed a deep, striking blue. A color visible only at this time of year. The familiar terrain transformed, showing a side of the glacier that is rarely seen. That moment stayed with us for a long time,” says Merel.
Working as a duo shapes how these moments are captured. While both photograph and film, Merel and Elmar naturally notice different details.
“Our collaboration is fluid, shaped by years of working together and a shared commitment to our subject. Out there, you don’t have time for long debates. There’s weather, light, and safety. We make decisions quickly, but always with full awareness of what the other is seeing. That mutual understanding drives everything,” says Elmar.
Scarpa supports Merel and Elmar with technical footwear that performs consistently on ice, mixed terrain, and long approaches. The deeper they go into these places, the more silence they find. “It’s in those moments, far from everything familiar, that we feel most connected. Completely present and immersed in something far greater than ourselves,” says Merel.
A Record for the Future
Through The Glacier Project, Merel Klomp and Elmar Janse are creating a visual record of Europe’s glaciers at a critical moment. Inviting viewers to pause, wonder, and reconnect with landscapes that are slowly fading into memory. It serves not only as an ode to nature, but also as a visual time document for future generations.
