The subject of this exhibition is painting and its place in the post-medium art world. In this milieu, artist shift their ideas between different forms and materials to an increasing extent. The exhibition at hand is not an attempt to prove or disprove an idea, but rather an opportunity to ponder and to perceive. It is a chance to reflect on a specific idea about painting, namely the idea that painting is best understood in the context of something other than the medium in which the artist chooses to work. In and of themselves, the works in the exhibition do not share a common thread, but are all different, whether in their origin, emphasis or subject matter. Each is thus a complex, intriguing work in its own right and by putting them in a shared context, an opportunity arises for a new experience, a different perception.
Jóhannes Dagsson
curator
Nine artist partake in the exhibition. They are:
Fritz Hendrik Berndsen is an Icelandic artist currently living in Reykjavík. Fritz graduated with a BA degree in fine arts from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts in 2016. Fritz has exhibited in 8 group exhibitions and held 3 solo shows. Fritz’s body of works consists mainly of installations, paintings, sculpture, photographs and video.
Hildur Bjarnadóttir lives and works in Reykjavík and Flóahreppur in the south of Iceland. She graduated from the textile department of The Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts in 1992 and finished her MFA degree from the New Forms department at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York in 1997. She completed her PhD in fine arts at the Bergen Academy of Art and Design in February 2017. Hildur has held many solo exhibitions internationally and in Iceland, including; Ecosystem of Color at The Reykjavík Art Museum, Kjarvalsstaðir, 2016, Colors of Belonging in Bergen Kjøtt, Norway 2015, Subjective systems in Kunstnerforbundet, Oslo and Mapping a piece of land in Hverfisgallerí, 2014, Coherance in Hafnarborg with Guðjón Ketilsson, 2011.
Hulda Stefánsdóttir studied painting at Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and received an MFA degree from the School of Visual Art, New York, in 2000. Her career spans nearly two decades. She was a professor at the Iceland Academy of the Arts from 2008 until 2016. Hulda has had numerous solo exhibitions and participated in group shows, both here in Iceland and in USA and Canada. Her last solo show, Færsla / Shift, was at BERG Contemporary last year, as a part of the Reykjavik Arts Festival. Hulda’s works are in the public collections of the Reykjavík Art Museum, the National Gallery of Iceland and the Art Collection of the University of Iceland.
Ingunn Fjóla Ingþórsdóttir graduated with a MA degree in fine art from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2017, and has a BA degree in fine art from the same institution (2007). She also holds a BA degree in art history from Aarhus University. Ingunn´s works have been exhibited in numerus museums and galleries, for example Hafnarborg, Gallery Ágúst (Reykjavík), Cuxhavener Kunstverein, at the Prague Biennale. For the past years, she has worked on her own art projects, as well as taking part in the artist duo, Hugsteypan.
Jakob Veigar Sigurðsson is from Hveragerði. He has a degree in civil engineering from the University of Reykjavík. He studied at the Cyprus Collage of Art, and finished his BA degree in fine art from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2016. He is currently studying at the Akademie der Bildenden Kunste in Vienna. His most recent exhibitions include; Plan-b art festival (Borgarnes, Iceland) 2017, Art Diagonale, (Korpúlfssaðir, Iceland) 2017, Painted through glass, installation in a greenhouse in Hveragerði, 2016, Painting on top of a Mountain, at Reynisfjall, mountain in 2015.
Magnús Helgason graduated from AKI in Holland in 2001. He has mainly worked in experimental film and constructed paintings. He exhibited films alongside concerts and live performances world vide 2003 until 2010 but has since then mainly focused on constructing painting. Magnús has had twelve solo exhibitions and taken part in numerus group exhibitions. Among his exhibition projects are; D-17 in Reykjavík Art Museum, Newly Painted, in Reykjavík Art Museum, Island, Havana galerie, Zurich, Plop plop, I am soap bubbles, Listamenn Gallerí, Reykjavík.
Melanie Ubaldo is born in the Philippines. She lives and works in Reykjavik. Melanie graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2016. Melanie has taken part in a few group shows; most recently the opening exhibition for Kling&Bang’s new location in the Marshall House, and two solo exhibitions.
Sigurður Guðjónsson studied at the Billedskolen in Copenhagen from 1998 until 1999, Iceland Academy of the Arts 2000-2003, and Akademie Der Bildenden Kunste, in Vienna, 2004. He has exhibited widely, both in group exhibitions and solo exhibitions, for example in the National Gallery of Iceland, The Reykjavík Art Museum, Hafnarborg, Gerðarsafn, Berg Contemporary, Royal Society of British Sculptors, Liverpool Biennial, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Arario Gallery (South Korea), Bergen Kunsthall, Hamburger Bahnhof, Kling&Bang Gallery (Reykjavík) and Tromsö Kunstforenining.
Þorgerður Þórhallsdóttir lives and works in Reykjavík. She graduated with a MA degree from Malmö Art Academy in 2016, and with a BA degree from the Iceland Academy of Arts, in 2013. Þorgerður had her first solo exhibition after graduation in gallery Kling&Bang in 2017. She has exhibited in Iceland and abroad, for example in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. Þorgerður was a member of the board of Kunstschlager, artist run space from 2013-2015.