Iceland / Boiling Ice

Unnur Óttarsdóttir - Frozen lava (2013)

This ideology is the bedrock upon which Luciano Benetton and his assistants have built their approach to art collecting. Unlike other modern collectors he doesn’t covet the most “progressive” works that the galleries and critics promote at any given time. In actual fact he doesn’t much seem to care about the aesthetics priorities of the current gallery set-up. Thus he and his assistants bypass it altogether in favour of the grassroots movements in each country. Having decided which country to add to the roster, the routine is always the same. Through various channels, even the jungle telegraph, they send out a general invitation to all and sundry, amateurs as well as professionals, to contribute a single work of a certain size (10 x 12 cm) to the project. Once the “national” quota has been reached, the project is concluded.

Daiva Leliene - Untitled (2013)

Judging from public comments that Luciano Benetton has made from time to time, it seems clear that diversity alone is not the only criterion underlying his collecting efforts. The title of the project, “Imago Mundi,” suggests that his intention is not simply to create a visual record of a country’s art scene, but also of its underlying “national consciousness”, the thoughts and feelings of its citizens. Which explains Signor Benetton’s interest in grassroots artists of every kind, with their popular symbolism and ready command of narratives. In their own way, these “surveys” are a continuation of those now denigrated “national exhibitions” of yore, which purported to present the arts of one country or another in their entirety. These exhibitions were accompanied by large catalogues containing learned articles on the fabric of society in the country in question, its history, industrial state, religious affiliation and so on.

Ellisif Malmo Bjarnadóttir - The Most Glorious Day (2013)

“Imago Mundi” relies only on the information that can be gleaned from the works themselves – to be sure, the sort of information that can neither be corroborated nor challenged. Nevertheless the assembled miniatures do tell us a lot about their origins, thanks to their down to earth imagery. In Flowering Cultures, the book containing the Benetton collection of works from the Indian continent, we are faced with the entire mythological heritage of that part of the world. The same goes for Ojo Latino, the collection featuring works from South America.

Anna Björg Þorbergsdóttir – Untitled (2013)

One particular aspect of the “Imago Mundi” collections has not been remarked on, namely the decision of the organizers to give equal space to the recto and verso of each work printed in the accompanying books. Somehow, this makes the works both more personal and more vulnerable. Haphazard splotches and random scribblings on the canvas supports tell us something about the personal circumstances and personalities of the artists, i.e. their living conditions and their neatness. Their handwriting can also be revealing of character, as any graphologist will tell you, not to mention other graphic marks that the artists leave behind on the back of the frame or canvas, accidentally or deliberately. A verso in immaculate condition is also telling of an artist’s attitude.

Erna Ingólfsdóttir - Mother Earth (2013)

The history of modern Icelandic art is a relatively short one. It can be seen as a corollary of the independence movement of the late 19th century. This movement sought to justify Iceland’s independence from Denmark through reference to its uniqueness - cultural, historical and geographical. Thus Iceland’s first professional artists turned the country’s landscapes into emblems of this uniqueness, while transforming its harsh natural forces into romantic images of calm and benevolence. Ever since, nature has been a constant factor in Icelandic art. The harsh reality of the Depression years led to a re-evaluation of this attitude to the Icelandic landscape, giving rise to new natural imagery, awesome and austere. During the Post-War years, when Icelandic artists finally begin to contribute to international movements of abstract art, it is to nature that they turn for their raw material. It could even be argued that nature indirectly contributed to the rise of the Icelandic avant-garde movements of the 1960s and 70s, as romantic landscape painting was one of the things avant-garde artists felt they needed to react against.

Gerður Hulda Hafsteinsdóttir - We are all the same (2013)

Looking at the miniatures submitted for the Icelandic “Imago Mundi” project, it comes as no surprise to see that the majority of them are replete with natural imagery. The 150 or so artists involved in the project are a large enough group to be representative of prevailing interests and attitudes amongst Icelandic artists as a whole; thus it is interesting to see what nature means to them at this point in time. Admittedly, a canvas the size of 10 x 12 centimetres leaves an ambitious landscape painter little scope for heroics. It does, however, allow him to express his reverence in the face of nature. Many of the artists present single mountains, whether Mt. Hekla or other mountains of note, in iconic terms. They are invariably rendered as emblematic “holy mountains,” substitutes for the faith that Icelanders have lost on their way to prosperity.

Magnús Bjarnason - Glaciertop (2013)

In the light of the debate about nature conservation that has divided Icelandic society since the launching of a huge hydro power station in the east Icelandic highlands in the 1990s, we would also expect the present artists to express their concern in the face of a nature under threat, whether from power-hungry industry or climactic changes. Predictably, we find numerous works featuring a nature beleaguered or demolished, as well as close-ups of its most vulnerable aspects: highland flowers and grasses, moss and streams.