The natural process unfolds through an umbrella that sprays or mists a small amount of water. As soon as the water touches the frozen pipes, it solidifies, slowly forming an ever-thickening layer of ice. In this way, the figure gradually grows in volume.

The metaphor is double-edged. On one level we see a man literally freezing; on another, he becomes a symbol of someone who no longer allows emotions or empathy to enter. The original working title, The Cold Man Opens His Umbrella, refers to a Flemish expression: “He opens his umbrella”—meaning someone who shifts responsibility away from himself and seeks protection.

Just as blossoms in spring are shielded from night frost by a fine water mist, here too a layer of ice forms. But this time the layer is not protective; it is suffocating. In an ever-colder world we grow more indifferent, more unreachable. The ice cannot be broken. And as the saying goes: those who freeze to death feel no pain.