Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.06.2011, Side 26

26
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 7 — 2011 Black Window is located at Hverfisgata 59. Opening hours vary.
www.blackwindow.is
Pósthússtræti 13
101 Reykjavík
Tel: +354 551 1800
www.gamla.is
www.banthai.name
Smaralind
5544-633
and
Hverfisgata
# 123
588-2121
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call: 894 44 55
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Art | Galleries
The long and winding road of Hver-
fisgata’s cultural reformation got
another boost recently with the
opening of the studio and exhibition
space Black Window. A project of
local artists Sylvía Dögg Halldórs-
dóttir and Agnes Marinósdóttir,
Black Window is their attempt to
create a cultural space that can be
used by apprising artists as a blank
canvas for their projects. We went
along to have a chat with Sylvía
about it all...
WHO ARE YOU GUYS? HOW DID
YOU CONNECT?
I come from Reyðarfjörður in the east of
Iceland, but moved years ago to Reyk-
javík. I then went to study art at the
Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotter-
dam, Holland where I lived for several
years. From there I lived in the UK for
a while before coming back to Iceland
last year. Agnes is self-taught and has
been doing art for years, but she trained
in product design and has a company
called Aggystar that makes customised
purses and computer bags.
We met years ago, when we were
both studying at FB [an Icelandic
‘menntaskóli’]. I’d say we’re kindred
spirits. We were apart for years when I
was abroad, but every time we met up,
it was like we’d only parted yesterday.
How did the idea for Black Window
came about?
I had a studio a couple of blocks from
here, but I was getting evicted so was
looking for another place. After a few
chance meetings, I ended up talking
to the owners of this building and they
showed me around. At first it looked
rather horrible. There was somebody
living here at the time and it was quite
broken down. But it was perfect as a
studio space. However it was too big
for me alone, so I called up Agnes, who
was also looking for a place to work. It
was a great location for a studio. Then
the idea for the exhibition space came
afterwards.
AND WHERE DID THE NAME COME
FROM? ALONG WITH YOUR SIG-
NAGE, IT SEEMS RATHER GOTHIC,
EVEN HORROR INFLUENCED.
Oh really? That wasn’t our intention.
WELL IT IS RATHER STRIKING...
Thanks. We wanted to have a neutral
name because we wanted to create a
space that could be used by artists for
shows, concerts, or even as a pop up
shop, whatever idea they choose. We
wanted it to be whatever the artist en-
visaged each time. So when we thought
of the name, we wanted it to be rather
plan and not too specific.
Also sometimes as great as it is being
in the presence of art, sometime when
you walk into some galleries, you feel
that something is off. Yes, the work is
there but the feel of the place can make
people feel uncomfortable, so we’re try-
ing to make the whole ambience of the
place more comfortable. Music is play-
ing, people can come in, hang out...
YOU ALSO PLAN ON MAKING IT
A 24-HOUR ExHIBITION SPACE.
WHERE DID THAT IDEA COME
FROM?
There is a bar in Rotterdam called the
Aanschouw, and they have these large
display windows outside that they
would use to display art monthly from
artists who create it specifically for that
space, so the pieces were on display
24/7. And that’s where we got the idea.
HOW WILL IT ALL WORK? REYKJA-
VíK DOESN’T REALLY HAVE A 24-
HOUR CULTURE...
True, but it would be nice though
[laughs]! Well the space and workshop
will be open through the day at varying
times, but the prominent works will be
on display through the window, so they
can be viewed at any time, day or night.
Depending on the demand, they’ll like-
ly be on display for a few weeks to a
month.
WHAT TYPE OF ARTISTS OR ART DO
YOU THINK WOULD BE ATTRACTED
TO BLACK WINDOW?
I think that in the art world it’s all about
marketing and I’m not against it, but I’m
good at playing that game. We’re more
of a DIY thing, so we don’t want to at-
tract a specific style or type of work, but
anyone with a creative idea that they
want to show or share is welcome.
I would say that we want to be
open to ideas. There are a lot of artists
who’ve been painting and creating for
a long time but they never went to art
school, so they feel they don’t have the
access or contacts to that part of the
artistic community to get their work ex-
hibited. So we wanted to make it easy
for aspiring artists to contact us.
NOW IF I HAD A PIECE, OR AN AR-
TISTIC IDEA, HOW WOULD I GO
ABOUT GETTING A SHOW?
Our details are both on the entrance
and online. And you can feel free to
contact us with your ideas. Since we’ve
opened, people have already been call-
ing and sending us photos of their work
they want to display.
Windows Of Opportunity
BOB CLUNESS