By Celina Huynh
Libia Castro & Olafur Olafsson Untitled (Portrait of the artists wearing the Icelandic national women’s costume; Peysuföt and Upphlutur), 2000/06
The Scandinavia House, a Nordic safe haven for minimalists of New York, is currently holding an exhibition titled “Borrowed Time: Icelandic Artists Look Forward.” All of the featured works deal with pressing environmental issues of the region, engaging in the crucial discourse of global sustainability. And no one is more fit to tackle these issues than the Scandinavians, who are the world’s leaders in renewable energy and socialism.
Hrafnkell Sigurðsson Revelation III, 2014
Artists showcased include Hildur Bjarnadóttir, Bjarki Bragason, The Icelandic Love Corporation, Rósa Gísladóttir, Ásthildur B. Jónsdóttir, Anna Líndal, Ólöf Nordal, Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir, Hrafnkell Sigurðsson, and Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir & Mark Wilson, and many more. Perhaps the most poignant piece is a photograph of collaborative artists Ólafur Ólafsson and Libia Castro standing in traditional Icelandic garb in front of an aluminum plant that has negatively impacted the country’s environment. Overall the exhibit leaves the viewer with a sense of the deep ties between culture and sustainability. In this case, Iceland’s home turf, its people and its land, as a site of environmental negotiation.
This exhibit is on view through Jan 14. Opening hours are Tue-Sat: 12pm - 6pm, Wed: 12pm - 7pm. The gallery is located at 58 Park Ave. New York; Tel: (212) 779-3587.
