D18 Bjarni massi

Many of us have come across gulls, a species of coastal sea birds that nest in large noisy colonies near harbours or waterfronts. We often see them scavenging human food in town, or flocking near harbours awaiting fishermen to toss out fish waste into the sea. Gulls are labelled as opportunists. Though opportunism is a human trait that may not fairly describe the survival instinct of the birds, the bold display of a gull snatching food from another in a snap will definitely give us a clear example of an opportunist. With All Aboard, Bjarni massi (b. 1973) presents to us a colony of gulls that are being set up to feast in abundance. The restaurant slogan “All-you-can-eat for…” springs to mind; and if we look closely we get a glimpse of humanistic behaviour from these feathered creatures in this staged environment.



Bjarni massi (Bjarni Þór Sigurbjörnsson) graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2002. He has been showing both in one-man and group exhibitions in Iceland and abroad since 1999. Besides making art, Bjarni massi is also known for directing short films and documentaries. He is also active in theatre stage designing.