Reykjavík Grapevine - aug 2021, Qupperneq 21

Our Picks
21The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 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
GALLERY PORT
Gu"laug Mía & Jóhanna Kristbjörg
Gu"laug Mía and Jóhanna Kristbjörg
come together for this upcoming
exhibition. There's scant information
on it right now, but knowing Gallery
Port and the duo, it'll be special.
• Opens on August 7th, 2021
• Runs until August 19th, 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 or
microscopic views: microbes, as
well as crashing waves and melting
ice, landslips and an array of natural
phenomena relating to the forma-
tion 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

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 Icelandic banknotes and
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 Iceland.
• Runs until September 12th, 2021
Miniatures
Modelmaker Sveinbjörn Gunnarsson
takes up residence at the Design
Museum. Come watch the exemplary
artist transform ordinary materials
into the extraordinary right in front
of your eyes.
• Runs until September 19th, 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
Cadence
Gu"munda Andrésdóttir is one of
Iceland's most inflouential abstract
painters. Beginning in the 1950s, she
was part of the Icelandic geometric
abrastion movement—and notably
one of the only woman. She's known
for intriguing contraditions that
explore the di(erence between the
sensitive and the calculated, the
emotional and the rational. Come
give her the respect she deserves.
• Runs until August 22nd, 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 3rd, 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 3rd, 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
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.
• Runs until October 17th, 2021

GER'ARSAFN KÓPAVOGUR ART MUSEUM
Object of Desire
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
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND
Kristján Magnússon
Backyards, sheds, clothes-lines and,
now and then, a cat. Photographer
Kristján Magnússon trains his lens
exclusively on a narrow, enclosed
swath of the urban environment: the
back-lots of residential areas in the
older parts of Reykjavik.
• Runs until August 29th, 2021
Spessi 1990-2020
Spessi, a.k.a. Sigur#ór Hallbjörnsson,
has forged a unique style within the
field of fine-art photography. His
work presents cold hard reality, un-
varnished and uncensored. Hidden
pockets of society are prominent in
his work, interspersed with cultural
life. His choice and handling of ma-
terial is provocative, yet also imbued
with humanity and humour.
• Runs until August 22nd, 2021
HARBINGER
Earth Abides
Gu"rún Tára Sveinsdóttir is all about
the inner world. Combining words,
video and music in her works, she
gives access to one's own mind and
deepest emotions. Here, she uses
everything from knitting needles to
silk dresses to show the challenges
of daily life in the loveliest way.
• Runs until August 21st, 2021
GER'UBERG
Non-stop Vibrating
You might have heard about the van-
dalism of Sigga Björg Sigur"ardót-
tir's work in her newest exhibition.
Now, a%er a short break, it's back.
"It's not what you look at that mat-
ters, it's what you see." - Thoreau
• Runs until August 13th, 2021
August 6th-September 2nd
Intruder
Until Au!ust 28th - Blanda in Blönduós
Shopli%er. Need
we say more?
While you might
be used to seeing
the legendary art-
ist’s kaleidoscop-
ic works gracing
the walls of the
most established
art galleries, this
time, she’s taken
it to the remote
island of Hrútey
in Blönduós in
Northern Iceland.
Set in the natural
cacophony of the
small island, the
artificial nature
of her large-scale
hair-stallation
is put in stark
context. For those
unacquainted
with Shopli%er’s
style, she uses
vibrant artificial
hair to create
alien worlds that’ll
make you feel
you’re entering
a new dimen-
sion—one where
the walls crawl
with dizzying
cotton candy
and sickly sweet
skies. We’d like
her to redecorate
the Grapevine
o&ce and plan
on crowdfunding
our e(orts at the
nearest opportu-
nity. Pls donate.
No, seriously. HJC

Hulda Vilhjálmsdóttir
Aug. 14th-Sept.
4th - $ula
If $ula is putting
it up, you know
it’s good. This ex-
hibition features
Hulda Vilhjálms-
dóttir in an explo-
ration of nature
and abstract, old
and new. She’s
one of the most
prolific artists in
the country—with
close to 50 solo
exhibitions and 40
group exhibitions
on her record.
We love a hard
worker. HJC
MUSEUM OF DESIGN
AND APPLIED ART
GAR!ATORG 1
210 GAR!ABÆR
EXHIBITIONS
BEHIND SCENES
RESIDENCY
OPEN TUE–SUN 12–17
WWW.HONNUNARSAFN.IS
NATURAL DYES: A
MODERN PERSPECTIVE
UNTIL 12.09.
SVEINBJÖRN GUNNARSSON
MODEL MAKER UNTIL 19.09.
KRISTÍN "ORKELSDÓTTIR
UNTIL 30.12.
THE
Instagram Facebook honnunarsafn

Voya!e
Until Aug. 28th
- Y Gallery
Your favourite
gas-station-cum-
gallery is here with
a new exhibition,
this one by $ór Sig-
ur#órsson. $ór’s
work explores the
passage of time;
something we’ve
all become ex-
tremely acquaint-
ed with during
the last year and a
half. HJC

I"avöllur
Until Oct. 17th -
Hafnarhús
The title ‘I"avöllur’
refers to the loca-
tion in the Völuspá
where gods meet
to reassemble the
world following
Ragnarök. Here,
Hafnarhús makes
their own meeting
place, where a
massive group of
artists show their
work reflecting on
the new millen-
nium. Unsure if
Baldr will be in
attendance. HJC