STARA - 16.04.2015, Blaðsíða 53

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FÍSL was formed in 2007 by eight photographers
in order to heighten the profile of photogra-
phy as a medium and enable photographers in
Iceland to practice their art. The association
has since then organized a number of exhibi-
tions and events, e.g. at the National Museum
of Iceland, and Gallery Hippolyte in Helskini,
where the exhibition Frontiers of Another Nature
opened in 2013. Additionally, the association
has collaborated with foreign photography as-
sociations and institutes. European Borderlines
was a collaboration between four European
countries, Portugal, Turkey, Latvia, and Iceland,
where young photographers were given a chance
to travel to another participating country and
create a photo project to be displayed in all four
countries.
The exhibition Reflection (Endurkast) opened in
2008 at the National Gallery of Iceland, show-
casing works by the founding members of FÍSL.
The book, Reflection – Icelandic Contemporary
Photography, was published concurrently with
the exhibition and contained Sigrún Alba
Sigurðardóttir’s interviews with the photogra-
phers, as well as Hjálmar Sveinsson’s philosophi-
cal thoughts about the pieces.
The photography festival, Photography Days,
was hosted for the first time in February 2012 in
collaboration with the Reykjavík Photography
Museum, and is now held biannually. The festi-
val aims to promote ambitious photography ex-
hibitions for the public and photography enthu-
siasts, as well as giving Icelandic photographers
a chance to introduce their works to foreign and
domestic curators, and professionals in the field,
for a portfolio review.
In the winter of 2012-13, the association hosted
a series of lectures at the National Museum of
Iceland where scholars and artists were invited to
discuss photography. This resulted in a lively and
educational debate about the photograph as an
art form.
The association numbers close to 30 members
today and has various events on the horizon.
Next May FÍSL will participate in the Polish pho-
tography festival WFFA in Warsaw, and in June
the association will host the photography exhi-
bition ÍSÓ in Ísafjörður, where members of the
association exhibit new pieces. The exhibition
will be informal and serve as a kind of showcase,
with events and general merriment.
Þórdí s Er la Ág úst sdót t ir. Kr i ssa and Dimma f rom the s e r ies Stor ies f rom Reykjav ík (S ög ur f rá Reykjav ík) .