In our column, The Images That Make Us, writer, founder and CEO of MTArt Agency, Marine Tanguy, responds to a visual creative and cultural moment, unwrapping its importance in how it shapes us as individuals. Next up: Art on Ice and the women making ice skating history.
Earlier this year, all eyes were focussed on the gigantic ice skating rink at Hallenstadion in Switzerland, which has hosted Art on Ice since 1995. I used to watch it with my granny – three hours of the most incredible performances with the top ice skaters in the world.
In 2025, for the very first time in the history of the sport, we watched two women dancing together: Gabriella Papadakis and Madison Hubbell. Gabriella has won five World and European Championship titles as well as an Olympic gold medal with Guillaume Cizeron, and Madison has won four World Championship and two Olympic medals (bronze in ice dance, gold in team) with Zachary Donohue. But they’ve both ended their respective partnerships and decided to perform together instead. Throughout the dance, their two bodies are so close that it looks like they are about to kiss each other. And of course, those are the images that the mainstream media decided to spread. It became viral in just a few hours.
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The two women are friends, yet their decision to dance together quickly became a revolutionary act in a traditional sport where genders tend to fall under conservative standards. “We want to show that our sport can be more inclusive, modern and courageous,” Madison explained, adding that “with this project, we dream of a future in which everyone can find their place on the ice, regardless of vision or identity.”
And just like that…. they broke the ice on gender stereotypes.
There was no lead between Gabriella and Madison: sometimes it was Gabriella, sometimes it was Madison. This was truly refreshing (and I am sure very hard for them both to train for!). Caroline Torti, the artistic director of Art on Ice placed their performance at the end of the show, making it even more memorable. When interviewed about the performance, Torti mentioned that challenging the past and inventing a future for the sport is the role of an artistic director like her.
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The codes have been challenged before: in 1989 the French duo Marina Anisina and Gwendal Peizerat decided to have Marina carry Gwendal rather than the other way around. Their act of resistance also reminds us of Florence Syers, the very first woman ice skater who, in 1905, showed us that the sport wasn’t solely for men. It’s an ode to Florence and so many women who dared – and continue to dare – to challenge a world that isn’t yet for them. And still, in 2025, Gabriella and Madison were only allowed to perform together because Art on Ice is a private gala.
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I have a feeling – and perhaps a lot of hope – that their 2025 show will trigger an array of new styles of performances. These beautiful images reinforce that gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential for innovation and creativity.
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