Reykjavík Grapevine - jul. 2021, Side 21

Our Picks
21The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 07— 2021
Art Listin!s
Events are listed by venue. For complete
listin!s and detailed information on venues,
visit !rapevine.is/happenin!.
Send your listin!s to: listin!s@!rapevine.is
Opening
FLÆ"I GALLERY
Harry Darkins
A sparsely-populated fishing town
perched on the sea and facing the
dramatic cli#s of the West$ords,
Skagaströnd faces the full force of
Iceland's ever-changing weather.
Here, artist Harry Darkins shares
a collection of figurative works
inspired by his time in the town.
• Opens on July 15th, 2021
• Runs until July 18th, 2021
Ongoing
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ICELAND
Of The North
'Of the North' (2001) is created from
Steina Vasulka’s archive of video
recordings, mostly of Icelandic
nature—either the surface of
the earth, or microscopic views:
microbes, as well as crashing waves
and melting ice, landslips and an
array of natural phenomena relating
to the formation and destruction of
our planet.
• Runs until January 9th, 2022
HELLO UNIVERSE
It's 2021 and we're over Earth. Enter
Finnur Jónsson. The avant-garde art
of Finnur—the first Icelandic artist
to address outer space in his works,
in the first half of the 20th cen-
tury—presents the artist's unfet-
tered interpretation of the marvels
of the celestial bodies, which are
the theme of this exhibition. Always
remember: We are but matter expe-
riencing itself on a pale blue dot.
• Runs until January 9th, 2022
Death Is Elsewhere
Ragnar Kjartansson’s opus “Death is
Elsewhere” made its debut in 2019
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City. Now, it’s back in
the artists hometown for a sum-
mer long residency at the National
Gallery. Featuring ya fav musician
twins GY"A, Kristín Anna, and (ran-
domly) those two brothers from
the National, the seven-channel
video installation sees a single song
played without end in a continuous
loop. Filmed around the summer sol-
stice in southern Iceland, “Death Is
Elsewhere” is a referential work that
turns romantic clichés on their head
with irony, nihilism and absurdity to
spare
• Runs until September 19th, 2021
EINAR JÓNSSON MUSEUM
Permanent Exhibition
The museum contains close to
300 artworks including a beautiful
garden with 26 bronze casts of the
artist’s sculptures.
REYKJAVÍK CITY MUSEUM
Settlement Exhibition
As Viking ruins meet digital technol-
ogy, this exhibition provides insight
into Reykjavík's farms at the time of
the first settlers.
REYKJAVÍK MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY
The Silent But Noble Art
Sigurhans Vignir (1894-1975) le%
the museum an archive of around
40,000 photographs. Many of these
document everyday Icelandic
society just a%er the creation of the
Republic of Iceland in 1944—a chris-
tening, labourers at work, people
skating, the occupation of Iceland
during World War II by British troops,
a beauty pageant, a birthday party, a
wigmaker… and so on.
• Runs until September 19th, 2021
The Border Between Nature And The
Scene
“In my art, I explore the limits of pho-
tography by fragmentarily excluding
the concept of time for scenes that
testify to the human encounter with
life. The photographic scenes are
set in scenographies where I have
worked to show perspectives that
make visible the fictional environ-
ment and illusion within the sceno-
graphic image.” – Peter Stridsberg
• Runs until August 8th, 2021

REYKJAVÍK MARITIME MUSEUM
Fish & Folk
Name a better duo than fish and
Iceland. You can’t. So come learn
about the history of Icelandic fisher-
ies from row boats to monstrous
trawlers.
Melckmeyt 1659
Melckmeyt was a Dutch merchant
ship that crashed near Flatey Island
in 1659. Explore the wreck here.
with two images of di#erent origins
against each other.
MUSEUM OF DESIGN AND APPLIED ART
Kristín "orkelsdóttir
You've probably seen Kristín &orkels-
dóttir's work before though you
might not know it. She's designed
the packaging of countless foods
as well as the banknotes in Iceland,
among other famous items. Come
see her progression as an artist.
• Runs until January 30th, 2022
Behind the Scenes — Natural Dyes:
A Modern Perspective
Where do textile colours come
from? Nowadays many are chemi-
cal, but this project shows the wide
range of colours one can produce
nautrally in the Iceland.
• Runs until September 12th, 2021

REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM '
KJARVALSSTA"IR
Eternal Recurrence
Jóhannes S. Kjarval—a%er whom
the museum is named—is put in
dialogue with a number of promi-
nent contemporary Iceland artists
including Ólafur Elíasson, Ragnar
Kjartansson, Steina and Eggert
Pétursson. Now that's a lineup.
• Runs until September 19th, 2021

HAFNARBORG
Discotheque
Arnfinnur Amazeen‘s exhibition pres-
ents new works that draw inspira-
tion from the ambiguous imagery of
Icelandic night club culture in the
seventies and eighties. While the ti-
tle is a reference to revelry, what we
have here is nonetheless a rather
dreary discotheque. There is no glitz
and glamour to be found here, only
the subtle indication of something
that has already happened.
• Runs until August 15th, 2021

REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM '
ÁSMUNDARSAFN
Sirra Sigrún Sigur#ardóttir &
Ásmundur Sveinsson: As If To Demon-
strate An Eclipse
Sirra’s work is cosmic in nature,
o%en connected to speculation
about our position within the inner
workings of nature, physics and
the forces that drive the world. Her
works o%en display our position as
individuals, our significance and
insignificance. As an existentialist
paper, who ruminated on our own
obscurity, we can't agree more.
• Runs until October 17th, 2021
Design for sculptor Ásmundur
Sveinsson
Five product designers take over
the museum shop at Ásmundarsafn
with objects inspired by Ásmundur
Sveinsson's world and heritage.
• Runs until October 17th, 2021

HI" ÍSLENSKA BÓKMENNTAFÉLAG
Abstract Reality
The ground floor of the Hotel Saga
will play host to a series of abstract
art works by Valt(r Pétursson. He
used abstraction to express sudden
cultural, social and political shi%s
in Iceland, so his pieces are the
perfect thing to stare at and reflect
on our own relatively abstract times.
But don't worry: it's an upli%ing and
colourful exhibition, so no need to
bring the tissues.
• Runs until August 31st, 2021
NORDIC HOUSE
Nature in Transition:
Shi$ing Identities
The North is changing. Man-made
climate change is pushing our
climates into new territory and
things are moving more rapidly than
we could have ever imagined. This
special exhibition dissects the na-
ture of that instability in the light of
the four Nordic countries and their
history and future. It’s an important
topic—and one that we cannot af-
ford to ignore.
• Runs until August 1st, 2021
Rockscramblers
Rockscramblers is inspired by the
illustrated poetry of poet Mats
Söderlund and illustrator Kathrina
Skar)sá. On view are the illustrations
and poetry in their original forms
and one can also interact with a
mysterious recording of Söderlund
himself, a cave where young visitors
can have a cozy time and (!!!) a new
climbing wall.
• Runs until September 5th, 2021
REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM ' HAFNARHÚS
I#avöllur: Icelandic Art in the 21st
Century
In 2021, Reykjavík Art Museum
focuses on the microenvironment,
with an aim of displaying the growth
of the Icelandic art scene. The whole
Hafnarhús becomes the setting
for a powerful exhibition of new
works by young artists who may
be considered to be in the lead for
their generation, and assumptions
can also be made about the larger
context of Icelandic and interna-
tional contemporary art.
• Opens on June 10th, 2021
• Runs until October 17th, 2021

I8
Ragna Róbertsdóttir
No information is currently available
on this particular exhibition, but
if it's anything like Ragna's previ-
ous work, you can bet it'll be full of
strong forms and made of natural
materials found freely in the Icelan-
dic landscape. If it's not... well... we
tried.
• Runs until July 31st, 2021

MUTT GALLERY
21 Artists
It's 2021, baby, which means 21
artists are showcasing works at
Mutt to open the summer season.
Many Grapevine favourites including
Freyja Eilíf and Almar Atlason will be
present.
• Runs until August 8th, 2021

HVERFISGALLERÍ
Abyss
Hildur Bjarnadóttir presents her
third solo show at Hverfisgallerí.
Exact information hasn't yet been
released, but Hildur is known for
works that investigate issues of
belonging, ecology, place and co-
habitation with animals and plants
in the south of Iceland.
• Runs until August 21st, 2021

OBJECT OF DESIRE
Abyss
A collaboration between Singapore
and Iceland, ‘Object of Desire’ will
travel between both countries with
an exploration of “things”( i.e. the
desire, distribution, and reproduc-
tion of “things”). Anti-consumerists
rejoice.
• Runs until August 26th, 2021
July 2nd-August 6th
Stance 1 linear
narratives
Until Au!ust 7th - Ber! Contemporary
This exhibition
exploring the
methodology of
line-drawing fea-
tures a veritable
supergroup of
artists, includ-
ing Áslaug Íris
Katrín Fri)jóns-
dóttir, Finnbogi
Pétursson, Hanna
Dís Whitehead,
Haraldur Jóns-
son, Páll Haukur
and Sirra Sigrún
Sigur)ardóttir. But
why line-drawing?
Well, pencils are
usually the first
tool children are
given to create
with and they
therefore hold a
magical space
within the hearts
of everyone—es-
pecially visual
artists. As Kristín
Ómarsdóttir
wrote in the text
accompanying
the exhibit, with
line-drawing,
“The child gains a
sword that it can
hurt with, charge
with, defend itself
with, talk to, listen
to and forsake all
context. A hot rod.
Cord. Sometimes
the drawing is
done for God, a
friend, nobody,
mother, one’s self,
needs, power,
screams, obses-
sions, frenzy,
that inexplicable
search (for noth-
ing maybe).” Don’t
miss it. HJC

Hildur Bjarnadóttir
Until August 7th -
Hverfisgallerí
Weaver Hildur
Bjarnadóttir cre-
ates, as she calls
them, “woven
paintings.” These
densely-woven
canvases show-
case the age-old
tradition in a new
provocative light,
filled with colour
and emotion
that presents
Hildur’s life as a
homesteader
in &úfugar)ur.
Explore rhythm,
mimetic art and
the world. HJC
MUSEUM OF DESIGN
AND APPLIED ART
GAR!ATORG 1
210 GAR!ABÆR
EXHIBITIONS
BEHIND SCENES
OPEN TUE–SUN 12–17
WWW.HONNUNARSAFN.IS
NATURAL DYES: A
MODERN PERSPECTIVE
UNTIL 12.09.
KRISTÍN "ORKELSDÓTTIR
UNTIL 30.12.
THE
Instagram Facebook honnunarsafn

HOW A PLACE COMES TO BE
July 10th-August
1st - Midpunkt
LEMOS + LEHMANN,
the artist duo of
Pat Lemos and
Lukas Lehmann
are journeying
to Iceland, with
an immersive
experience of
photography and
sound. Full of both
calmness and
tension, it’ll be
an exploration of
perception and
the ever-changing
nature of art. HJC

Pabbi í ve!!num
Until July
20th - Gletta
(Borgarfjör)ur
Eystri)
This is one for
your Easterners.
The beautiful
venue Gletta in
Borgar$ör)ur
Eystri will host an
exhibition featur-
ing Rúnar Örn
Jóhönnu Marinós-
son, Geir*rú)ur
Einarsdóttir, Au)ur
Ómarsdóttir, Gylfi
Freeland Sigur)s-
son. Plan a road
trip and don’t miss
it. HJC