Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.03.2017, Page 22

At the very end of Reykjavík’s wind-
blown concrete harbour, Grandi,
stands a hulk ing white bui lding
known as the Marshall House. It was
purpose-built as a fish processing
plant in the 1950s, with several tall
vertical spaces that once held tower-
ing herring oil tanks. The large win-
dows were designed to blow outwards
in the event of an explosion, allowing
the stone structure to stay intact. But
as Grandi began to flourish in recent
years, with studios, workshops, caf'es
and boutiques springing up in its once-
desolate streets, this monument to the
area’s industrial past stood empty.
Today, the building is a hive of ac-
tivity as it reaches the end of a year-
long renovation. Workmen stride over
the icy car park between the entrance
and container units, pushing trol-
leys of timber and carrying armfuls
of tools and cables. One figure stands
out amongst the bearded, dusty con-
struction workers. Dressed in a co-
lourful shawl and wearing a big smile,
she waves hello, brightly. It’s Ingibjörg
Sigurjónsdóttir of the Kling & Bang
gallery, one of three arts organisa-
tions who’ll soon bring a new type of
combustible energy to this cavernous
repurposed space.
Energy and spontaneity
Ingibjörg is a calm presence, but clear-
ly excited as she shows us inside. The
renovations are approaching comple-
tion—the wide halls now have smooth
grey floors, slick and modern doors
and windows, and shiny new elevators,
reminiscent of London’s Tate Modern
in feel. “The ground floor will be a res-
taurant,” says Ingibjörg, gesturing to
the back wall where some glowing bot-
tle shelves are being installed. “Flott
ljós!” she shouts to the workmen (“Cool
lights!”, in English).
The spacious hallway leads up a
wide, airy staircase, with pristine
new handrails gleaming in the bright
winter sun. “The first floor will be
NÝLÓ—The Living Art Museum,” says
Ingibjörg, gesturing through an open
door, “and Ólafur Elíasson will use
the top floor as a private studio with
a showroom.” She leads us up another
flight of stairs, smiling: “And then,
here we are.”
We tread lightly into the pristine,
virgin art space. It’s still and quiet,
with views of mountains, sea and city
on all sides. Ingibjörg shows us around
two large galleries, a box-strewn office
area, and a windowless video projec-
tion space. Everything about it feels
brand new.
“That’s one of the things I find in-
teresting about this project,” smiles
Ingibjörg. “The question: ‘Can you run
a place in a fancy building and regular
rent, with the same mentality as you
would a grass-
roots basement
gallery?’ Because
w h e n y o u ’ r e
n o t p e r f e c t l y
planned in ev-
ery way, it leaves
room for energy
and spontaneity.
And I think we
can keep that.”
Travelling Sirkús
Energy and spontaneity are two of
the hallmarks of Kling & Bang, which
functions both as a nomadic gallery
organisation and a proactive collective
who are actively involved in staging
and producing their exhibitions. Their
aesthetic is sparky and innovative,
with a sense of theatre that often re-
sults in celebratory multidisciplinary
happenings.
One such event included export-
ing the shell of the late, great Reykja-
vík party bar Sirkus, and rebuilding
it at London’s Frieze Art Fair in 2008.
This dark, noisy space hosted a se-
ries of crowded live events, leading
Guardian critic Adrian Searle to write:
“This is no ordi-
nary Icelandic clip
joint. It is art... or
something like it.”
During the Reykja-
vík Arts Festival in
2014, Kling & Bang
was transformed
i nt o “Spa sm s”—
a n i n s t a l l a t i o n
by Kolbeinn Hugi
H ö s k u l d s s o n i n
which assorted musicians and artists
sat half-naked in makeshift bathtubs,
improvising a musical drone that
was broadcast online by E.S.P. TV.
Even this wasn’t enough, though—
”Spasms” was just one of four episodes
in their programme for the festival.
“I remember one time we took part
in an art fair, in Berlin,” says Erling
“Some art institutions
have strict procedures
on doing things. But
Kling & Bang is more
like a pack of wolves.”
- Daníel Björnsson
The Art
Wolves
After fourteen nomadic years,
Kling & Bang move into the
Marshall House
Words: JOHN ROGERS
Photos: TIMOTHÉE LAMBRECQ
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22 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 03 — 2017