Press Release

Kambur, August 30, 2000

On Saturday, September 2nd, at 3:00 PM, an exhibition of works by the American artist William Anastasi will open at Galleri Kambi.

Anastasi was born in 1933 and began his career as a visual artist in the 1960s. He was part of the group of concept artists who exhibited at the Dwan Gallery in New York.

The exhibition at Galleri Kambi will mainly feature two series of works:

1. Blind Drawings – These drawings were created by the artist on the underground trains of New York City during his daily commutes to and from composer John Cage. The artist and the composer played chess together almost daily in the later years of Cage’s life.
   They met around 1964 when Anastasi presented sound drawings and other sound-related works, and they became close friends from then on.

2. Graphic works created in later years, where Anastasi approaches the medium in a highly distinctive and personal manner. One example includes his use of the word "Jew."

Works by William Anastasi can be found in major collections across the United States and Europe.

This exhibition is the first collaborative project between Galleri Kambi and Galleri Stalke in Copenhagen.

The exhibition is open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, September 2nd to October 1st, 2000, except on Wednesdays.

Gunnar Örn

Kambur

Review

Sunday, September 24, 2000

The Fear of Naming Things

Gallery Kambur,

William Anastasi

Until October 1. Open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Closed on Wednesdays.

Gallery Kambur, one of the country's most interesting exhibition venues, currently showcases works by the American artist William Anastasi in connection with Galleri Stalke in Copenhagen.

For those familiar with the art scene of the 1960s, the groundbreaking exhibitions at the Dwan Gallery in New York and Los Angeles, where minimalism and conceptual art took center stage, may come to mind. Anastasi was part of the group of artists associated with Dwan Gallery. Among the works that gained attention was a photograph of a wall where the image itself hung, highlighting the gallery's walls within the artist's work.

Like many minimalistic conceptual artists, Anastasi has kept a relatively low profile. Although he has consistently produced work, he has remained somewhat in the background.

Now he has come to Landsveit to exhibit a few striking works at the bright and modest space of Gallery Kambur. The first series of works on display, titled "Blind Drawings," consists of drawings created "in blindness" with the help of the New York City subway system. Anastasi made these works during his commutes to visit composer John Cage. The two often played chess together until Cage's passing, and their connection dates back to the mid-1960s when Anastasi worked on sound drawings and other audio-related works.

The "Blind Drawings" are influenced by the vibrations of the subway, which played a significant role in their creation. Comparing these drawings to works by other artists, such as Cy Twombly or the Icelandic artist Kristján Davíðsson, provides an interesting context.

A second series of works focuses on the word "Jew" (translated as "Gyðingur" in Icelandic and "Jude" in German) in various forms and media. Although the pieces are visually simple, they provoke a strong reaction in viewers. Anastasi himself is not Jewish, but his works have stirred significant responses, particularly in Germany, where audiences were uncertain how to interpret his seemingly innocuous creations. In the accompanying exhibition catalog, the well-known American art critic Thomas McEvilley discusses the context and significance of these works. He also cites Einstein's famous quote:

"If my theory proves correct, the Germans will claim me as one of their own, and the French will call me a world citizen. If it proves wrong, the French will call me a German, and the Germans will call me a Jew."

One of Anastasi's untitled works featuring the phrases "A WORD" and "words" encapsulates the power of naming and our vulnerability to the weight of words like "Jew." The piece also reminds us that language is fleeting, a series of sounds that vanish into thin air.

This small but thought-provoking exhibition is worth a visit. Between the works, the gallery's windows offer a view of Icelandic nature in its majestic beauty, with Þjórsá stretching before the observer like the Euphrates.

Culture and nature come together in remarkable harmony at Gallery Kambur.

Halldór Björn Runólfsson