An ice statue of Greta Thunberg has been erected in Trafalgar Square

London-based creatives Alissa Khan-Whelan, Chris Godfrey and CJ Brown erected an ice sculpture of climate activist Greta Thunberg in Trafalgar Square yesterday (2 October). The likeness, which melted throughout the day in the sunny weather, aimed to be a “powerful representation of climate change and the plight the world is in unless change is made,” the creators say in a statement about the project.

The sculpture was made by the trio to draw attention to a petition to install a permanent statue of Thunberg in London, recognising her bravery and determination in starting an international climate movement and “inspiring a generation to fearlessly take on world leaders in the fight to halt climate change.”

Khan-Whelan, Godfrey and Brown said in the statement, “Greta Thunberg is a representation of the youth and she has successfully invigorated the climate debate that was failing to get the attention it deserved. After being targeted online by older and more powerful men for her personality, tone of voice and even her Aspergers, the statue exists to stand with Greta, focusing on her message rather than the emotion behind it.”

The Swedish activist has faced yet another round of public slamming, from sources as wide as Jeremy Clarkson (who subsequently got burned by his teenage daughter) to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who called her a “poorly informed teenager”.

The creatives behind the project – Khan-Whelan, Godfrey and Brown – are the same team behind The Instagram Egg, a campaign to get a picture of a humble egg to be the most liked post on Instagram. Within ten days, the trio managed to beat Kylie Jenner’s record of 18.3 million likes, and the egg snap is now the most liked image on the internet, notching up 53 million approvals. The egg went on to star in a Super Bowl commercial in aid of Mental Health America.