Each thing has a story. The screw, the hook, the worn-out chair – it all has a story… Things that are around us, but hardly ever noticed, a hook we hang our coat on, a metal hoop for garbage bags. We barely see them, yet they have purpose, they matter. And someone has made these things, through care and hard work. The people who made them matter, have a story. And someone must tell the story of the people who made these things. Because everything seeks balance…
Bára Kristinsdóttir portrays a thoughtful and alluring view of a world which is fading away. Her photographs provide insight into the lives of two older men at a nylon coating workshop on the edge of Reykjavík, where time has stood still. In years gone by, this used to be a workplace bustling with life and people, working in the old-fashioned way, by hand. But with the advent of modern technology, this craftsmanship became less popular, as Chinese automation displaced local workshops and gained control of the market.
Bára studied photography in Gothenburg. She has both had private exhibitions and participated in group exhibitions, in Iceland and abroad. Notable exhibitions include the private exhibitions Hot Spots in the Reykjavík Museum of Photography, My Brother’s Environment in Gallerí Anima and group exhibitions in Scandinavia House, New York, and Frankfurter Kunstverein. Bára has also worked as a commercial and journalistic photographer, regularly taking pictures for The New York Times. She is a founding member of The Icelandic Contemporary Photography Association, FÍSL. In addition, Bára both founded and has run Ramskram, a gallery of contemporary photography, for the past two years.