Berglind Jóna Hlynsdóttir: Customs House

Berglind Jóna Hlynsdóttir’s work can be found on the roof of the Customs House in Tryggvagata. It takes note from the building’s history and the man-made area around it, which has been constantly changing since the construction of the building started in 1967. Through the years, many different plans have been made regarding the development of this area but either never been carried out or never fully finished due to new planning trends. In this work, Berglind ponders the future which never happened, people’s expectations for this area and the future which is starting to appear around the building. 

The work is a part of the exhibition Autumn Bulbs which hosted by the Reykjavik Art Museum outside the walls of the museum buildings. It presents a revision of what is often called public art, art in public domain, outdoor art or statues around town. Five artists present new works that appear in diverse and innovative ways throughout Reykjavík and in the common space that contemporary technology offers. These are performances, interventions and happenings of various kinds. Instead of physical sculptures, monuments, or other permanent environmental works, the exhibition Autumn Bulbs focuses on works that are more or less created in intangible media and manifested in the here and now.

Artists in the exhibition include: Ásgerður Birna Björnsdóttir, Berglind Jóna Hlynsdóttir, Curver Thoroddsen, Snorri Ásmundsson and Þóranna Björnsdóttir. Please, follow the exhibition schedule on the museum's website, http://artmuseum.is/events, and on social media. The year 2019 is the Year of Public Art at the Reykjavík Art Museum, and the exhibition is part of that context, along with more exhibitions, events and public programming.

The exhibition is supported by the Icelandic Visual Arts Fund.