Dieter Roth - Train

Over 400 works by the artist Dieter Roth are on view in a joint exhibition by the Reykjavík Art Museum, the National Gallery of Iceland and Gallerí 100°. This is the most extensive exhibition ever undertaken by the Reykjavík Art Museum and the National Gallery, and it is also the first time that the two galleries embark on a joint exhibition. The curator is Björn Roth, son of the artist, and the exhibition is the central event at this year's Reykjavík Arts Festival, which focuses on international contemporary art under the heading Material Time/Work Time/Life Time. On view at the Train exhibition are some of the artist's best-known installations, books, graphic works and paintings. In selecting the works, the curator was particularly concerned with their links to Iceland.

Dieter Roth was born in 1930 in Germany, where he spent the first years of his life. As an adult he was based in Germany, Switzerland, and Iceland. Although he initially studied graphic design, Roth's explorations of free-expression and creativity were made in a wide variety of media including music, poetry, and visual art. His entire artistic career was characterised by experimentation. While working in Copenhagen in the 1950's, Roth met Sigridur Bjornsdottir, an Icelandic woman with whom he moved to Iceland and had a family. Although the couple eventually separated, Roth's ties to Iceland remained strong throughout his life.