Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.07.2018, Blaðsíða 36

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Organ Orchestra,
Play Dough And A
Huge Mural
New exhibition honours legendary Icelandic
artist Gerður Helgadóttir
Words: Christine Engel Snitkjær Photo: Art Bicnick
Exhibition
SKÚLPTÚR / SKÚLPTÚR is on from
August 24th to October 7th at the
Gerðarsafn museum.
When out and about in downtown
Reykjavík, you might have noticed
a huge wall on Tryggvagata with an
abstract mural depicting the city’s
harbour. The mosaic portrays
old sailing ships, reminiscent of
those in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’
alongside industrial
machinery.
This mural was
created by the wide-
ly recognized Ice-
landic artist Gerður
Helgadóttir (1928-
1975) in 1973. Known
for her abst rac t
three-dimensional
a r t , G erð u r h a s
created numerous
well-known public
artworks, including the stained
glass windows of Skálholt Cathe-
dral and Kópavogur Church.
Gerðarsafn is a museum cre-
ated in her honour and mem-
ory. Its new show “SKÚLPTÚR
/ SKÚLPTÚR” (“SCULPTURE /
SCULPTURE”) is the third in an
annual series in which contem-
porary pieces are contrasted with
Gerður’s work to draw connections
between her oeuvre and contem-
porary sculpture. This time the
theme is exploring ideas of the old
and the new in relation to Gerður’s
output.
Organ orchestra
A free-spirited, whimsical soul,
Styrmir Örn Guðmundsson is one
of the exhibiting artists. Inspired
by the name of the exhibition,
Styrmir’s contribution explores
sculpture as a medium by creat-
ing a hybrid of art
and musical instru-
ments. He has craft-
ed a series of ceramic
i n st r u ments that
correspond to the vi-
tal organs of the hu-
man body.
“ The Udu dr um
I have made repre-
sents a stomach,” he
says, taking delight
in the sound. “It
looks like a stomach and when I hit
it—sounds like a stomach to me.”
Other instruments include an
ocarina flute (portrayed as a liver),
a double flute (lungs), and a syn-
thesizer (a brain). The instruments
originate from different corners
of the world, serving as an ode to
Gerður. “Gerður was intrigued by
world cultures,” Styrmir says. “She
also loved music. My instruments
speak to that.”
When he reflects on Gerður’s
contribution to Icelandic art,
Styrmir’s demeanour turns more
serious. “I am honoured to have
this chance to conduct a dialogue
with her,” he says. “This exhibit is
a conversation between different
time periods. It showcases a point
in time when the ‘new’ enters the
‘old’ scene.”
The new and the old
Áslaug Friðjónsdóttir is another
artist in the show. A distinctly
calm character with large green
eyes, Áslaug has participated in
exhibitions around Iceland, Eu-
rope, and the United States over
the past decade. With a focus on
abstract three-dimensional art,
her work evokes images of urban
landscapes and construction sites.
“I often use industrial materi-
als used for house building, like
concrete, plaster, grout, linoleum
flooring and wood,” she says. “The
material speaks to our modern
times and ethos but at the same
time hints at classical art when
artists used marble and natural
stone.”
An avant-garde
presence
One of Áslaug’s pieces for the ex-
hibition is made of concrete tak-
en from the ruins of demolished
buildings in Reykjavík. She has
added playdough to the shapes—
an act suitably evocative of the idea
behind this exhibit to bring the old
and the new together.
Yet Áslaug highlights that
Gerður is not simply an artist of
the past who represents the ‘old.’
“She was one of the few Icelandic
female artists to gain recognition
for her work during her lifetime,”
she says. “She was ahead of her
time in many ways—she didn’t
just fall into trends. She is a huge
influence of mine. She continues
to be avant-garde and inspire, even
though she is part of the past.”
Einskis-mannslandNo Man‘s Land
Ríkir þar fegurðin ein?Where Beauty Alone Reigns?
02.06.–30.09.2018
Hafnarhús
Tryggvagata 17
101 Reykjavík
Kjarvalsstaðir
Flókagata 24
105 Reykjavík
Open daily
+354 411 6400
artmuseum.is
“Gerður was one
of the few Ice-
landic female
artists to gain
recognition for
her work during
her lifetime.”
Wait, what brain...
i8 Gallery
Tryggvagata 16
101 Reykjavík
info@i8.is
t: +354 551 3666
www.i8.is
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