STARA - 16.04.2015, Side 44

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Do you feel that the residency and/or Iceland is
affecting your work?
It always does. The residency is such an in-
teresting time since you always meet such an
amazing kaleidoscope of creative talent com-
ing from all walks of life, and from all over the
world. The dialogue is incredible.
As for my work, I am always influenced by the
investigations I make into the natural land-
scape, whether they are documented in some
way or another. Each manifestation of a few
elements triggers so many impulsive ideas that
are sometimes primordial, and sometimes so
abstract. I never feel these kind of conceptual
ideas come to me when I am back in Montreal.
I collect things, I sing things. I breathe. I write.
I draw. I nourish myself with things from the
Icelandic soil. I always, always, go fishing and
bring back fresh-caught fish to the communal
kitchen for everyone to eat. In returning to
Iceland to see my friends and revisit SÍM, it
feels good, authentic, and now a second home.
I try to speak Icelandic and laugh at myself
because I feel like I understand. I have a special
bond to some families here who have opened
up their home to me and I have learned so
much about the Icelandic cultural identity in
the process. I make art that I am proud of... it
feels authentic.
During your stay in Iceland, did you see any
exhibitions that affected you?
I remember seeing Gabríela Friðriksdóttir’s
videos for the first time and I was blown away.
I love Icelandic abstraction, whether it be
drawing or painting, textile or music. It feels
like it comes from the spirit of nature in a very
molecular way. It is an essence that is hard to
describe unless you come here and breathe the
air and let it get inside of you.

During your stay, have you made any new con-
nections you might benefit from?
I have met many Icelandic artists and they are
very curious about what is happening outside
of Iceland. Of course, I have some very close
friends who are dear to me in Reykjavík and I
will be in touch with them for life.
The SÍM residency has always made me feel so
welcome whenever I feel the need to return and
create, and I am still in touch with so many in-
ternational artists that I have met in Iceland at
the residency since 2009. I am hoping one day
to come and share my knowledge as an educa-
tor and visual artist at the Icelandic Academy
of the Arts since I teach in the area of Intermedia
and Cyber Arts.
Many of my activities in sound and perfor-
mance art in particular, and in my open mate-
rial practice, feed off each other and I realize
the need to translate, transform, and investigate
how they overlap: critically, collaboratively, and
strategically. I would love to engage with Icelandic
students and the art community at large in
order to share this methodology.
Was there anything about the Icelandic art scene
that surprised you?
I felt the Icelandic art community to be a tight-
knit group of members linked by a very short
modernist history and unique language stem-
ming from nature and weather patterns that
has developed over the years stylistically and
formally.
In the discipline of music, they are astound-
ing…it feels a little like the local Indie musical
community here in Montreal, e.g. Arcade Fire.
It is tight-knit and Avantgarde and so constant-
ly evolving. I learned a lot about the history
of Icelandic formalism by seeing this language
developed through the permanent collection
of paintings I have seen at the National Gallery
and such. Icelandic artists feed off each other
intellectually and visually and there are many
interesting spaces and festivals available to
develop their projects.
It is, however, not easy for a foreigner to
get into the academic or professional gallery
circuit without being Icelandic. I do hope that
changes. I have been very lucky since I have
had the opportunity to work in group projects
that Icelandic artists have invited me to. Also, it
would be great to have an opportunity to come
and teach as a Visiting Artist to the Icelandic
Academy in order to share new knowledge
around new media culture and electronic arts.
I feel that this would be a really interesting
exchange for international artists.