Reykjavík Grapevine - feb. 2022, Síða 20

Power Suits &
Orbital Paths
A !roup exhibition for our times
Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photos: "órdís Erla & Art Bicnick
The LÁ Art Museum (Listasafn
Árnesinga) is giving us yet another
reason to visit Hverager!i with
their exciting new exhibition.
This group showing features
four artists—Lóa Hjálmt"sdót-
tir, #órdís Erla Zoega, Magnús
Helgason and Ingunn Fjóla
Ing$órsdóttir—all with their own
exhibitions in separate rooms.
We spoke with two of the artists
involved about what we can expect.
That’s me in the corner
"I'm in my room, with figurative
crazy-colour things,” Lóa tells us of
her showing, called 'Buxnadragt',
or 'Powersuit' in English. “They're
like a fine art version of my comic
work.”
Here she refers to her comic
series Lóaboratoríum, a series of
slice-of-life vignettes that are as
charming as they are funny.
Lóa, always the modest one,
insists she is not the star of the
show when compared to the other
artists being featured.
“I don't know how, but somehow
it fits with the rest of the exhibi-
tion,” she says of 'Buxnadragt'. “It's
curated brilliantly, because I don't
belong, but I still belong. Story of
my life, the weird one in the corner,
like I always feel. It's kind of a sad
silliness, the whole thing. There's
something so sad and beautiful
about it, even if it has no words
or humans, the movement and
how it's related to humans. I don't
understand how it works together,
but it does. I think [museum direc-
tor] Kristín Scheving must be some
kind of a genius."
A comic on an island
Buxnadragt bears much of the
observational style as her comics,
with inspiration drawn from Lóa’s
youth.
"The mood's about the futility of
dressing into power, when people
try to get into a man's suit, like
in the 80s, but you're still not in
charge,” she tells us. “A pantsuit is
hilarious but powerful at the same
time. It's more observational than
a statement, really, of 20 fast illus-
trations of women in power suits.
They have the mood of friends of
my mother when I was a kid. They
were all in charge of something;
not on top, but trying."
The not-so-boring
routine
#órdís’ exhibition, 'Hringrás'
('Daily Routine' in English), is a
bit more abstract, but is most fully
enjoyed with the participation of
attendees.
“I am making an installation
with acrylic glass circles, curtains
and motors,” she tells us. “The
circle has a special colour-shifting
film, dichroic film, which creates a
beautiful experience in the space.
The installation is inspired by the
orbital path of the Earth around
the Sun and while it is spinning the
day is either beginning or ending
depending on where you are situ-
ated, creating the daily ‘boring’
routine of opening and closing
curtains. It is an experience that is
best to have in person, as with all
of the exhibitions which are very
playful.”
#órdís expresses anticipation
both for the exhibition itself, and
how attendees will react.
“I enjoy creating a new expe-
rience for the viewer,” she says.
“Every time I set up an exhibition
it allows me to experiment with
the materials I use in new ways and
that is always exciting.”
All of these exhibitions will be shown
at LÁ Museum from February 5 until
May 22.
Arti8 Grandi
Marshallhúsi!
Grandagar!ur 20
101 Reykjavík
Iceland
i8grandi@i8.is
+354 551 3666
www.i8.is
i8 Grandi — 22.01.22–22.12.22
Alicja Kwade
In Relation to the Sun,
29.01.–15.05.2022
Birgir
Andrésson
As Far as the Eye Can See
Open daily
10h00–17h00
artmuseum.is
#reykjavikartmuseum
Kjarvalsstaðir
Flókagata 24
105 Reykjavík
+354 411 6400
"A pantsuit is hilarious and powerful at the same time."
Much to think about
"órdís Zoega at work