Iceland In Denmark
Olafur Eliasson, Gunnar Örn, Ivar Valgardsson, Hallgrímur Helgasson, Gudmundur Ingolfsson, Eliás Hjöleifsson, Ragnar Kjartansson, Anne Líndal
Stalke Galleri /Kirke Sonnerup
26.04.03 to 06.06.03
Review:
New Icelandic Art
"Iceland in Denmark" at Galleri Kr. Sonnerup
In connection with the opening of Galleri Kirke Sonnerup under the Bramnes Cultural Days, the former Icelandic Prime Minister and Ambassador to Denmark inaugurated the major exhibition "Iceland in Denmark" at Galleri Kirke Sonnerup.
More than 200 people attended the opening, gaining an insight into Icelandic art, which at the moment is developing many new international artists. The exhibition, open every Friday afternoon and Saturday mornings until its conclusion on June 6, features works by Anna Líndal, Elías Hjörleifsson, Ólafur Elíasson, Ívar Valgardsson, Hallgrímur Helgasson, Guðmundur Ingólfsson, Ragnar Kjartansson, and Gunnar Örn. Galleri Kirke Sonnerup is located at Englerupvej 62 in Kirke Sonnerup.
"Iceland in Denmark" is a preview of a larger exhibition.
The opening was well received, with the selected works demonstrating the same strength and quality as the Icelandic artists who are highly regarded internationally.
Contrasts
Gunnar Örn is the curator of the exhibition. He has deliberately chosen different sides and generations of the scene, such as Ragnar Kjartansson's video piece, which humorously explores the relationship between Denmark and Iceland, involving an Icelandic farmer being placed in the context of post-colonialism. Anne Líndal's "Heart Beat" video installation shows a rhythm that resembles the sound of a heartbeat.
Many of the exhibited works address the relationship between culture and nature, an Icelandic tradition that transforms this interplay into new artistic expressions using different media.
Ólafur Elíasson, who will represent Iceland at the prestigious Venice Biennale this year, presents "Crystal Lava." This work is an architectonic interplay between light and nature, demonstrating the balance between urban and natural settings.
Ívar Valgardsson has created a minimalist piece projecting the Icelandic sun as a square directly onto the wall, creating a meditative and thought-provoking effect.
Gunnar Örn himself has contributed with "The Journey Home," a series of images referring to Iceland’s echoes in the psychological landscape—almost a mental map where new connections emerge as a mental landscape of the soul.
The exhibition, as a whole, attempts to combine the various media and techniques used by the artists, bringing new interpretations of what it means to be a modern human being in today’s world.
Photo caption:
At the opening of "Iceland in Denmark," a young boy gets some inspiration from Ragnar Kjartansson's video piece "Colonization."
Press Release
Galleri Kirke Sonnerup announces the group exhibition
Iceland in Denmark
with eight Icelandic contemporary artists.
Curated by Gunnar Örn.
Exhibition period: April 26 – June 6, 2003.
At 3 PM, Ambassador Thorsteinn Palsson will deliver the opening speech.
Two years ago, Sam Jedig from Stalke Gallery asked Icelandic artist Gunnar Örn to curate an exhibition featuring modern Icelandic art. His task was to find a selection of artists who, in his opinion, represented the best of the contemporary Icelandic art scene. Gunnar Örn chose painters and gallery artists with a natural interest in imagery and challenge. Under these conditions, he asked Sam Jedig if he would also participate as one of the exhibiting artists.
Diversity is the most fitting title to describe Iceland in Denmark and Icelandic contemporary art in general. This diversity is evident in the techniques the artists use. They all share a willingness to explore various methods and media. Despite the apparent differences in materials and methods compared to earlier periods, the themes and motifs remain the same: light, color, culture, history, modernity, family, and macro topics such as the world and the universe.
One could argue that the world is shrinking as it is increasingly mediated through media. However, the abundance of information does not diminish the fundamental question of what it means to be a human being here and now. Each artist in this exhibition seeks, with their personal engagement, to grapple with this question. The result is Iceland in Denmark.
The eight artists are:
- Anna Líndal (1957–)
- EÍías Hjörleifsson (1944–2001)
- Ólafur Elíasson (1967–)
- Ívar Valgardsson (1954–)
- Hallgrímur Helgason (1959–)
- Guðmundur Ingólfsson (1946–)
- Ragnar Kjartansson (1976–)
- Gunnar Örn (1946–)
