In the beginning of 2017 a new advisory panel commenced within Skaftfell. Its key role will be to define artistic approach and premises for the gallery, residency- and education program. It consists of three members, Bjarki Bragason, Karlotta Blöndal and Oddný Daníelsdóttir, appointed by the Association of Icelandic Artists, the Iceland Academy of the Arts and the Association of Art History and Theory in Iceland for two years.
This arrangement is conducted within the center now for the first time , succeeding the honorary position of artistic director, ongoing since 2009. The first artistic director appointed was Björn Roth, followed by Christoph Büchel, then Ráðhildur Ingadóttir and finally Gavin Morrison. The board would like to thank the them for their contribution to the development of the center.
An advisory panel is implemented within Skaftfell for a few reasons; to strengthen the dialogue and collaboration with the professional art sector and ever changing art field, as well as to fulfil one of the terms of Skaftfell’s primary funding contract with the East Iceland Association of Local Authorities and Seyðisfjörður Municipality, signed in June 2015, valid for 5 years.
Skaftfell´s central activity is the exhibitions in the gallery. This year two exhibitions have already opened, Koma consisting of new artwork by students from the Iceland Academy of the Arts and Silent Act by Icelandic artist Hanna Kristín Birgisdóttir. The summer exhibition, Edge Effects, opening June 17, marks the final stage of the European Ecology research project, Frontiers in Retreat. The fall commences with a solo exhibition with Icelandic artist Margrét H. Blöndal and the year concludes with a group exhibition by enterprising Icelandic artists: Claudia Hausfeld, Elísabet Brynhildardóttir, Eva Ísleifsdóttir and Sindri Leifsson. Alongside the gallery program various events will take place in relation to residency artists and the ever-increasing educational activities.
About the panel members
Bjarki Bragason has for the past years been active in the professional art field in Iceland and abroad, and has some curating experience. He is a committed art researcher with some experience in teaching at a academic level and art management. Bjarki graduated with a masters from California Institute of the Arts, CalArts in Los Angeles and a bachelor´s degree from the Iceland Academy of the Arts, in 2005 he studied in Universität der Künste in Berlín. Currently Bjarki holds the position of assistant professor and programme director at the fine art department in the Iceland Academy of the Arts.
Karlotta Blöndal works in a variety of media, ranging from drawings, paintings, publications, environmental installations and performances. By emphasising aesthetics Blöndal investigates the dynamics of a given medium, site or situation, including the manipulation based on our assumptions of what it means to us. Her work sometime deal with found documents and the question of how they can be presented and re-presented. Thus the question of value of the art object, the repetitive aspect vs. uniqueness is present throughout her practice. Karlotta Blöndal received her BA from Icelandic College of Art and Crafts and her MFA from Malmö Art Academy in Sweden. She has been involved in numerous artist run initiatives, such as the Living Art Museum and Signal gallery Malmö and was co-editor and publisher of Sjonauki Art Magazine. She is part of a long term interdisciplinary collaboration project called the Journey to the Magic Mountain, 2013-2020. www.karlottablondal.net
Oddný Björk Daníelsdóttir is born 1986 in Reykjavík. She graduated from the Commercial College of Iceland in the year 2006. In the spring 2011 she graduated with B.A. degree in art history and theory with literature in minor from the University of Iceland. Thereof she was an exchange student in Utrecht University in Holland. Oddny started in the art history and theory master’s program in the University of Iceland but took a break from studying and has only left her thesis to graduate. When she took the break she had already started to study the curatorial culture of the art life in Iceland. Oddný is one of the founders of Artíma Gallerí, gallery of art history and theory students and was runned from curators point of view. Oddný was a board member there 2012-2013 where she took care of the organization of exhibitions and funding among other things. She also curator more than a dozen exhibitions. In the fall of 2013 Oddný moved to Seydisfjordur and has since worked for Skaftfell on occasional projects; working on exhibitions, the accounting etc. Last years Oddný has been working in the office of Hótel Aldan but is now a sales manager for Skálanes Nature and Heritage Centre.