SÍM

Affinities of Form: Artistic Convergences in Iceland since 1970

Listasafn Íslands / The National Gallery of Iceland,
Reykjavík

30.01 - 10.05.2026

Birgir Andrésson
Ingólfur Arnarsson
Hreinn Friðfinnsson
Kristján Guðmundsson
Roni Horn
Ragna Róbertsdóttir
Lawrence Weiner

Affinities of Form fjallar um landlist, minimalisma og konseptlist á Íslandi frá áttunda áratugnum til fyrsta hluta 21. aldar. Sýningin samanstendur af verkum úr hópi fjölbreyttra listamanna, íslenskum sem og erlendum sem heimsóttu Ísland á tímabilinu og mynduðu oftar en ekki náin tengsl við íslenska listamenn og safnara. Sýningarstjórar eru Gavin Morrison og Pari Stave, sem byggðu sýninguna á eigum Listasafnins ásamt mikilvægum verkum sem fengin eru úr einkaeigu utanaðkomandi safnara í Reykjavík.

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Birgir Andrésson (b. 1955, d. 2007) lived and worked in Reykjavik, Iceland. Finding subjects in his closest surroundings, Birgir Andrésson explored history and memory, as well as the spoken and written word throughout his practice. His work was the subject of a major retrospective at the Reykjavik Art Museum in 2022. In addition to representing Iceland at the Venice Biennale in 1995, the artist had solo exhibitions at venues including The National Gallery of Iceland; Kunsthaus Pasquart; and Stadtgalerie Bern.

Ingólfur Arnarsson (b. 1956, Iceland) lives and works in Reykjavik. His works are characterised by their simplicity, clarity, precision, and understated elegance. Recent solo shows include: The Reykjavik Art Museum; ASÍ Art Gallery, Reykjavik; and Hafnarborg, Hafnarfjörður. His work has also been showcased in group exhibitions at the National Gallery of Iceland; and the Drawing Center, New York, USA. A new publication with text by art writer and curator Gavin Morrison tracing four significant exhibitions of Arnarsson's career was released in February 2024. His year-long sholo show ...just a shell. is currently on view at i8 Grandi, Reykjavík.

Hreinn Friðfinnsson (b. 1943, d. 2024, Bær í Dölum, Iceland) lived and worked in Amsterdam. Using everyday materials as a basis, Friðfinnsson continually explores elements of time, environment, narration, memory, and perception. Friðfinnsson exhibited widely internationally, including major solo shows at the Malmö Konsthall in Malmö; Le Magasin-Centre national d’art contemporain in Grenoble; the National Gallery of Iceland; the Kyoto Art Center; the Domaine de Kerguéhennec in Bignan; the Serpentine Gallery, London; the Centre d’art Contemporain in Geneva; the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin; and the Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida. In 1993, Friðfinnsson represented Iceland at the Venice Biennale, and in 2000, he received the prestigious Ars Fennica Prize.

Kristján Guðmundsson (b. 1941, d. 2025) lived and worked in Reykjavik. He exhibited widely in Europe and the United States, including in exhibitions at Scandinavian House, New York; Rappaz Museum, Basel; Safn, Berlin; Haus der Kunst, Munich; MOCA, Los Angeles; National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavik; the Reykjavik Art Museum; Malmö Kunsthall, Malmö; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; and Centre Pompidou, Paris. In 1982, the artist represented Iceland at the Venice Biennale; in 2010, he received the Carnegie Art Award; and in 2022, he received the Honorary Award from the Icelandic Visual Arts Council for his long and successful career, which has made a significant mark on the history of Icelandic art.

Roni Horn (b. 1955, USA) lives and works in New York. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1975. In 1978, Horn graduated with a master's in sculpture from Yale University. Her oeuvre focuses on conceptually oriented photography, sculpture, books and drawing. Recent solo exhibitions include: Tate Modern, London; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Kunsthaus Bregenz; Kunsthalle Hamburg De Pont Foundation, Tilburg; Fondation Beyeler, Riehen; Glenstone Museum, Potomac; Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; The Drawing Institute at The Menil Collection, Houston; the Pola Museum of Art, Hakone; Bourse de Commerce-Pinault Collection, Paris; Winsing Arts Foundation, Taipei; Centro Botín, Santander; He Art Museum, Guangdong; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk.

Ragna Róbertsdóttir (b. 1945, Iceland) currently lives and works between Reykjavík and Berlin. Ragna Róbertsdóttir’s practice explores identity, materiality, and time, as well as natural and architectural histories. Róbertsdóttir is best known for her minimal sculptures and installations, which often comprise elements inherent to the Icelandic environment, such as lava rock, salt, turf, and clay. Róbertsdóttir has exhibited internationally throughout her career, and she has had major solo shows at venues including The Living Art Museum and the Reykjavik Art Museum. A monograph of her work from 1984-2017 was published by DISTANZ in 2018.

Lawrence Weiner (b. 1942, d. 2021) was born in Bronx, New York, and lived and worked in New York and Amsterdam. Lawrence Weiner’s devotion to questioning convention made the artist a leading figure in the 1960s Conceptual art movement, and his graphic use of capitalized text, marks, and lines formed a critically acclaimed visual language unique to him. He exhibited widely at international venues including Tate Modern, London; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museo Tamayo, Mexico City; Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; The Jewish Museum, New York; and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid. A major retrospective of Weiner’s work was presented by the Whitney Museum, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf.