Former multiple Swiss figure skating champion Oliver Höner has been turning Art on Ice into a success story since 1995.
"I haven't been on the ice for 16 years," admits Oliver Höner. However, he immediately adds that he still doesn't have a split relationship with ice skating: "But at my age, I can only get worse, which is why I prefer to concentrate on something that I can improve on." He is referring to the show Art on Ice, which he created virtually from scratch in 1995: "We were the first back then and there was no competition. We planned on a greenfield site, never lost money in this country and were able to maintain the budget. Nowadays, anyone who launches a new show project can usually only expect a return on investment after three or four years. Today, the market environment is completely different."
Performing without playback
Every Art on Ice show is a balancing act between art and commerce: "But ultimately, I've never had artists in the show who didn't fit in. Apart from Gotthard or Seven, we deliberately never hired stars a second time. It was always a self-contained thing. Of course, there were one or two artists from whom we expected more. We play without playback. And the audience can feel that too. In that sense, we are old-fashioned compared to other shows, but in a good way.
Zurich sets the pace
Höner has just been to Cirque du Soleil in Canada and Macao in China to see Franco Dragone's "The House of Dancing Water" show. His conclusion: "Awesome!" Art on Ice is a touring show that always has to be adapted to the respective venue conditions. For example, the venues in Davos and Lausanne are smaller than the Hallenstadion Zurich, but a 360-degree show is possible there: "Zurich sets the pace, but my people then have to adapt the show for the other venues."
The dream of a fixed venue
Another unfulfilled dream is a permanent building for Art on Ice, although the theater would then have to be built according to the show's requirements: "I don't need the size of an indoor stadium for that," says Höner, his eyes shining. "But I could maintain the dynamism and speed of Art on Ice in a smaller setting. I refined the project this summer and am now looking for a construction partner in Switzerland and abroad. Just as the Cirque du Soleil water show 'O' at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas was a huge success, something similar could be done on ice.
Exciting acts
On the other hand, it is no use having a star who is well-known in the West but not at all in China, for example. That's why Cirque du Soleil, for example, doesn't have any stars in the show, but all anonymous but excellent musicians and artists." Mister Art on Ice has also put together some exciting acts for the latest show: They range from funk and soul queen Chaka Khan to vocal artist James Morrison, figure skater Sarah Meier and contortionist Nina Burri.
