Lecture: Icelandic Art, Because There Is Such a Thing

For several years, Iceland’s presence in the international art market has flourished and Ragnar Kjartansson’s work has been especially well regarded by critics and curators around the globe. Yet a large-scale museum exhibition of Kjartansson’s art at home, in Iceland, wouldn’t have been effective before now.

Until recently, gallerists and critics who promote contemporary Icelandic artists in international arts fairs and news outlets have insisted that Icelandic artists should be celebrated on a global arena because their art is not beholden to local tradition—it is not parochially Icelandic.

In this lecture, Bryndís Hafþórsdóttir will argue against this one-sided dialectic, in favor of an understanding of Kjartansson’s art as an outcome of the intersection between local tradition and globalization.
Paradoxically, to fully appreciate the emotional effect Kjartansson’s art universally has on its diverse global audience, we need to admit that it’s just a little bit Icelandic. 

Bryndís Hafþórsdóttir has an MA in Visual and Critical Studies from California College of the Arts. She lives and works in San Francisco.

The event takes place in English. Free with admission.

The exhibition is supported by GAMMA.