What´s with the museums?
The two major museums in Reykjavík, The National Gallery and The
Reykjavík Art Museum, have been cridicized lately for being out
of tune with the contemporary art scene. The National Gallery began the
year 2003 by hosting an exhibition of Mike Bidlo´s aproppriations,
“Not Picasso, Not Pollock and Not Warhol”. An exhibition that
should better have been held 10 or 15 years ago, when aproppriations were
an issue. In the museum cellar there opened a new small three room exhibition
space witch is, according to the museums director, intended for experimental
contemporary art. - Gives a clear message what the other rooms are for.
The first artist to exhibit there was Anna Lindal, a Professor at the
Iceland academy of the arts. Anna works with video installations and household
materials. Following Anna´s exhibition Sara Björnsdottir, known
for video installations and performances, and Spessi, a photographer,
are the second artists to exhibit in the cellar. There is no budged from
The National Gallery going to the Icelandic artists. The budget goes to
Bidlo and the Bidlo´s to come.
The Reykjavík Art Museum is a step ahead of The National Gallery
in those matters. They began the year 2003 with a project in the dome
of Asmundarsafn, witch is a smaller part of museum. Three Icelandic contemporary
artists have been chosen to make site-specific installations for this
bowl-shaped space, all expenses payed - plus fee. The first artist to
exhibit there was Tumi Magnusson, also a professor at the Iceland academy
of the arts, the second is Finnbogi Petursson, a representetive of Iceland
in the last Venice Biennale, and finally Eyglo Hardardottir a younger
generation artist, will create her installation in april.
In february the exhibition “Loud and clear” was hosted in
Reykjavik art museum - Hafnarhus (Harbour house), the largest part of
the museum. The exhibition brought together visual artists such as Pierre
Huyghe, Arnhout Mik and Gillian Wearing, composers and musicians such
as Ryuichi Sakomoto Gudni Franzson and Yello and advertising agencies
like Kessels Kramer and Saatchi & Saatchi. A three day performance
festival named “A certain turbulence” in collaboration with
The Iceland academy of the arts was held in the museum during the first
days of march with art students under the guidance of performance artists;
Brian Catling, Julian Maynard Smith and Willem de Ridder.
In March and through out April there is an exhibition in Hafnarhusid from
new works of Patrick Huse, a Norwegan artist working mainly in painting
but also with video, and photographs. Huse´s exhibition is a contribution
to what we can now call - The “How do you like Iceland”- museum
policy. Huse is the third international artist to have a large solo exhibition
in The Reykjavik Art Museum over the last two years who seeks inspiration
from the landscape of Iceland . The first was another Norwegan artist,
Odd Nerdrum, and the second was German artist Bernd Koberling who paints
the landscape around Lodmundarfjördur in the east coast of Iceland.
Regardless of how good the artists may be, there has to be some other
artist out there with a different approach worth having over with an exhibition.
JBK Ransu
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