Finnbogi Pétursson, Haraldur Jónsson, Harpa Árnadóttir and Finnur Arnar Arnarson.

Review by Victoria Cross, photos by Brooks Walker.

Silence is something that we take for granted until we are deprived of it; something that at times we crave and at others cannot wait to run away from. At the recent exhibition at the Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús, four Icelandic artists, Finnbogi Pétursson, Haraldur Jónsson, Harpa Árnadóttir and Finnur Arnar Arnarson, took on the difficult task of exploring the world of silence. All four artists are well-known; all have worked in the field of art since the early 1990s; all have exhibited their works both in Iceland and abroad. This exhibition is intriguing in its concept and execution, and, for me personally, it became a learning experience.

When I first entered the hall several weeks ago, the exhibition was perplexing to me. All I saw was a strange collection of seemingly random pieces – an oddly shaped wooden piece on the wall, a line of magnifying lenses, an abandoned mat with the remains of what seemed to be a picnic, seven fish heads, each one in a separate jar, and a piece of glass suspended from the ceiling. The hard-to-find titles gave little clue for interpreting the art. Ironically, my impressions fit nicely with the theme of the exhibition – everything was silent to me. It took several readings of the brochure, return trips to the museum, and learning about the artists to fully appreciate the exhibition.

A closer look at the lenses reveals upside-down images of moving objects. These appear, and disappear, leaving emptiness behind. You don’t immediately realize that they are the reflections of the street outside – passersby, cars, the street itself. The world of reality is turned upside down. This is the artwork of Finnbogi Pétursson, entitled “Moment”.

“Moment” by Finnbogi Pétursson.

The artist is renowned for his work with sound. He has described his installations as “acoustic images of the present,” which makes his approach to silence even more enticing to see. In much of his work he uses sounds as an instrument for creating visual or mental images; here he uses silence to draw visual pictures of moments in time. There are 24 lenses lined up on the wall. The number isn’t accidental – in having 24 lenses the artist subtly suggests a link to film, as 24 frames per second (FPS) was the traditional rate needed to fool the eye in sustaining the illusion of smooth motion. The upside-down images demonstrate the same principles as “camera obscura,” the device that preceded the invention of photo cameras. The combination of modern techniques and equipment, together with old principles of “camera obscura” can be seen as a connection of past and present. All of Pétursson’s installations are space-specific and here he makes clever use of the gallery wall and the high windows overlooking the street.

As the reflections of the street draw your attention to the windows, you are led to the work of Harpa Árnadóttir. If the work of Pétursson has a very direct, practical approach, the work of Árnadóttir is very lyrical. Even the titles can be read like lines from a poem: “They hang on the heavenly hooks (the tears)/I stand for a while under a roof of rain”; “Meanwhile”. A clear glass rectangular pane suspended on steel strings shows the painted traces of rain. Circular patterns recreate the precise moment of raindrops hitting the surface.

“They hang on the heavenly hooks…” by Harpa Árnadóttir.

The theme continues with the drawings of the rain on four windows. Harpa worked along with the rain tapping outside, and what you see is her impression of the rainy pattern of that particular day. The images, though still, constantly change their appearance due to the different light and weather conditions.

“Meanwhile” by Harpa Árnadóttir.  

Her work evokes the soft silence of rainy days; the serenity of viewing them from inside. Silence and rain is a direct passage to childhood memories for her: “Falling asleep in a silent house while listening to the sound of raindrops on the iron roof. [...] It makes you think that nothing could ever harm you; brings you to the heart of tranquility itself.”

The theme of silence is a constant companion of Árnadóttir’s work; she has explored it previously in her paintings using just hints of colors, creating barely perceptible images, “lucid stillness.”

The untitled work of Finnur Arnar Arnarson unceremoniously yanks the spectator from the poetic world and firmly places him back into reality. He staged a real-life scene using scattered clothes and crumpled bed sheets, food leftovers and photos as his instruments. The artist moved into the exhibition hall for several days before the opening of the exhibition, slept and ate there in solitude. Then he moved out, leaving behind the trappings of his living and with them the silent memories of his past.

Close up from “Untitled” by Finnur Arnar Arnarson.

Arnarson goes further taking a look at the world of silent dreams. Seven photos of fish, taken with a Polaroid camera; the heads of the same seven fish in jars filled with formaldehyde; the invisible presence of  their bodies locked in a freezer; the video images of the two hands that created the scene; the cross of a window frame leaning against the wall. The composition is open-ended.

General view of “Untitled” by Finnur Arnar Arnarson.

Arnarson presents the viewer with the results of a sequence of action, leaving us to wonder about the reasons or connections between them. In the artist’s words, “Something happened and someone was dreaming in the museum. You can see the results and try to imagine what the dreams were about.”

Turning towards the exit you will face the work of Haraldur Jónsson, entitled “Hella”. It was the most puzzling piece of the exhibition for me at first, but gradually became one of my favorites.

Jónsson always works simultaneously in many layers, with every small detail thought through and adding to the meaning. The world “hella” used as the title is an Icelandic word for pressure in the ears that people experience either during plane flights or when diving into deep water. This pressure muffles sounds, bringing you closer to the world of silence. This word also has a second meaning – a tile in a pavement or a slab. Thus the connection between the real, tangible world and the world of feelings and perceptions is established right from the start.

In connection with the above is the choice of material—compressed light wood and insulated carpet—which imperceptibly affects the acoustics of the space. In its shape “Hella” links the theme of the exhibition with the museum itself. It recreates the outline of the ground plan of the museum, reminding us that the museum itself is a place of muted sounds, silence and silent viewing.

“Hella” by Haraldur Jónsson.

The part in the middle of the “floor plan” is left hollow despite the fact that it is a part of the museum. It is used mostly for private parties, which take place after official hours and are inaccessible to the general public. As Jónsson explains, “The inner contours of the piece thus surround the absent chatter and laughter of the parties, and the piece becomes even more silent by this very fact.”

A photograph in the brochure which accompanies the show is the last piece of the puzzle. A tent erected for a wedding party at the museum covers the portion of the building that is left blank in the artist’s work. Together these two images create a new whole. The shape on the wall becomes a vault guarding the memories of those who have passed through the museum.

“Hellan” by Haraldur Jónsson; photo courtesy of the artist.

Silent images, the rain, the places we visit, the silence of our dreams and memories. Each artist approached the subject of “silence” in their own unique way, but each of their works speaks volumes for those who are willing to listen.

The exhibition is on display until April 27.

www.artmuseum.is
Tel: (+354) 590-1290
Tryggvagata 17, 101 Reykjavík
Open daily 10 am to 5 pm
Free admission
 
VC – toricross@hotmail.com

Victoria Cross is originally from Moscow, but has spent the past 11 years traveling the world with her husband and two sons. She is a philologist by education but due to the constant moving has worked in a variety of fields. Most recently she spent three years in Beijing, where she created the popular web network, “Beijing Cafe.” Now she is in Iceland falling head over heels for the local art scene.