The exhibition Solander 250: Letters from Iceland is held to commemorate one of the first foreign scientific expeditions to Iceland in 1772, 250 years ago. On this journey was one of Carl von Linné‘s apostles, the Swedish natural scientist Daniel Solander. Among the things Solander and his fellow travellers recorded in Iceland were nature, culture, traditions and clothing styles. In their work, ten Icelandic artists will interpret these events, as well as how the nation and the country have changed since then.
At the same time, we present the exhibition Paradise Lost – Daniel Solander’s Legacy, but the exhibition also commemorates Solander’s travels, in this case, to the Pacific in 1769. In fact, Solander was the main botanist on the HMS Endeavor on the first European expedition to Australia. The two exhibitions thus form a unique dialogue between the Arctic and the Pacific through Daniel Solander’s travels. The exhibitions are presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden in Iceland and the Icelandic Printmakers Association.
Paradise Lost – Daniel Solander’s Legacy has previously been exhibited in New Zealand, Australia and Sweden, but both exhibitions will travel around Iceland, following their showing at Hafnarborg. Management of the exhibition Solander 250: Letters from Iceland is in the hands of Anna Snædís Sigmarsdóttir and Elísabet Stefánsdóttir on behalf of the Icelandic Printmakers Association.
Participants in the exhibition Solander 250: Letters from Iceland are Anna Líndal, Aðalheiður Valgeirsdóttir, Daði Guðbjörnsson, Gíslína Dögg Bjarkadóttir, Guðmundur Ármann Sigurjónsson, Iréne Jensen, Laura Valentino, Soffía Sæmundsdóttir, Valgerður Björnsdóttir and Viktor Hannesson.
Participants in the exhibition Paradise Lost – Daniel Solander’s Legacy are Alexis Neal, Dagmar Dyck, Jenna Packer, Jo Ogier, John McLean, John Pusateri, Lynn Taylor, Michel Tuffery, Sharnae Beardsley and Tabatha Forbes.