Hafnarhús branch of the Reykjavik Art museum holds the exhibition of one of the Iceland’s leading conceptual artists Hreinn Frihinnsson. The variety of the media he works with is remarkable – there are photos and notes, installations and drawings, glass and cardboard, wood and fabric. The first image meeting you at the entrance is a hand reflecting in the mirror. The label reads “So far”.  My mind immediately answered “only so far you can reach”.  Right next to it is a vertical raw of tear – shaped crystals, simply named “16 drops.”  In the next room you are faced with a white and black photo of a man standing in a darkened room. He stands in profile a viewer; his hands caught a splash of colours – red, green and purple. The work is untitled.  On the same wall in complete contrast you see a cardboard box, brightly coloured inside and titled “Sanctuary”. There is a left shoe on the floor, mirrored to show its mate, named “Pair”; there is a “Beauty Mark” made of small black felt circle lying lonely on the windowsill, there are mirrors on the floor that make glass jars whole or doubled.  All these pieces seemingly thrown together without any particular order create an enchanted universe, where objects reflecting in the mirrors, start leaving their own life, old legends, caught on photos and papers, inviting you for a journey, everyday objects  looked delightfully odd and  their unexpected placement made you smile.

A catalog itself can be read like a poetry “For light, shadow and dust”, “Afterthought”, “Element of Doubt”, “Lightening and Thunder”, “Seven times”.  The artist seems to be playing with a notice that everything can be turned into art. His humor denies conventional thinking, opens up minds.  For some it can be tough to take – as I was strolling around, admiring the author’s creativity, I saw a young man coming in, making a quick spin around, shaking his head and leaving with an expression of puzzlement on his face.

If the thought of conceptual art makes you uneasy, don’t skip this exhibition, just take your kids along, they will help you to discover its delights and surprises.

                                                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

I read about the Blonde Miss World 1951 exhibition in “What’s on in Reykjavik”. It was said that it  explored the idea and ideology behind the stereotype of the blonde, which sounded intriguing enough to check it out. 

 The exhibition took place in Kjarvalsstaðir branch of the Reykjavik Art Museum. It was my first exposure to the art of Birgir Snaæbjörn Birgisson and it was full of surprises. When I glanced in the hall for the first time, I thought “how strange, there is nothing there, only white canvasses on the wall.”  I was so sure of this that I proceed checking out another small exhibition in the corridor.  Then, too embarassed to ask where was this much talked about the Blonde exhibition, I stepped into the hall.  I stood there for a second and suddenly images started to emerge from seeminly black paintings. I was surrounded by smiling, blue-eyed blondes, almost invisible in the fog of white.  All the portraits were exactly the same size, had white background, all used only the palest shades of grey, yellow and white.  The effect was utterly fascinating, though chilling, one cannot help but feel slightly uncomfortable under their piercing stares. The exhibition pictured the portraits of the winners of Miss World beauty pageants since the competition was launced in 1951. 

 The artist, Birgir Snaæbjörn Birgisson, is known for his style of painting on the white canvasses with pale transparent colours and also for painting only blondes.  His other series include “Blonde Nurses Series” and “Blond Heads – Nordic Race”. 

Besides Iceland the artist has held exhibitions in England, Holland and the USA, where he caused stir.  The essence of the artist’s work was captured best by Mika Hanulla, the curator of the exhibit, “Now you see it, now you don’t.  Now you think you know it, now you don’t.”

I don’t know what is behind his “absence of colour” and loyalty to blondes – spiritual or racial pureness – but it was the most memorable exhibition of December for me.