Sigurður Guðjónsson
11 April – 15 June 2025
The Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum
Curated by: Sigurdur Trausti Traustason
The Einar Jónsson Museum
The exhibition Internal Space is inspired by the unique building Hnitbjörg, both inside and out. Einar Jónsson, sculptor, created cohesive spaces in his museum that open up to the viewer upon entering. The works are in the foreground, but upon closer inspection, one can discern the sculptor's deliberate craftsmanshipin the architecture. The pedestals and the interior of the building are not exempt; on the highest ones, the works become elevated and untouchable. The design of the original pedestals, which still stand, bears witness to Einar'sthought regarding the overall appearance of the museum, and they have multifaceted and practical roles. Inside the original pedestals are spaces thatEinar used for preservation and storage; there one can find a hidden world ofunfinished works, sketches, tools, and fragments. This hidden aspect invoke sinterest and questions, bearing witness to what could have been.
Sigurður Guðjónsson creates his own spaces here and opens worlds that are usually hidden by magnifying phenomena and thus showing details that the human eye cannot otherwise perceive. He is accustomedto dealing with unique spaces in his creation, transforming and recreating them with sound and image. In the unique world of Hnitbjörg, he takes his position with what is already there through a multi-voiced installation that engages in dialogue with the space, the pedestals, and the building. Glass is Sigurður's material this time; he magnifies broken glass and, with light, movement, and sound, creates an indeterminate visual world that each person can interpret in their own way. There is harmony in the work, but at the same time, each unit has its unique voice. This slow transformation process is strongly emphasized in the inner spaces, where reflection and sound create a holistic experience. Einar Jónsson's visual world, on the other hand, is characterized by figurative motifs, where the indeterminate is the narrative of each work. The works of both artists require the viewer to dwell on them and consider what is inside; Hnitbjörg provides the shelter needed for this to happen. Sigurður's pedestals reflect Einar's pedestals in a certain way, but they are open and accessible to the viewer, while Einar Jónsson's closed pedestals keep the interesting items from his career.
Sigurður Guðjónsson (1975) is best known forhis time-based art, where the focus is directed at the inner in an enlarged image. There he explores the material world, the function of the mechanical,and presents it with sound, light, colors, and movement. His magnificent creations have a mesmerizing and dreamlike effect on the viewer, who cannot help but be drawn to the artist's visual world. Sigurður Guðjónsson is one of the country's foremost video artists and continues to establish himself with each project. Sigurður studied at Billedskolen in Copenhagen from 1998-1999,the Iceland Academy of the Arts from 2000-2003, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 2004. He represented Iceland at the Venice Biennale in 2022 and received the Icelandic Art Prize in 2018.