Roni Horn
MY OZ
May 11 August 19, 2007
Reykjavik Art Museum Hafnarhús
… somewhere in the sandy expanses of Iceland, Roni Horn stops for a moment and scans the surroundings. She uses her eyes as a lens, where only the blink of her eyelids marks separate images, like a camera…
–Frida Björk Ingvarsdottir
The exhibition My Oz at Reykjavik Art Museum Hafnarhús is the first large-scale exhibition of of Roni Horn’s work in Scandinavia. The works are selected in close collaboration with the artist to reflect her intimate connection to Iceland, and also to give a well rounded overview of her work. The exhibition includes photographs, three-dimensional works, drawings, books and new glass sculpture.
Roni Horn has been a regular visitor in Iceland since the mid-1970s when she came here first as a young art student. She has traveled around the country more than most Icelanders and sought inspiration for many of her most acclaimed works in its unspoiled nature. She has struck a core with Icelandic audience, both as an artist and an advocate for the natural environment. Roni Horn now invites them for the first time to take a full breath of her art and to recognize the authenticity of her relationship with the country.
These quotation above by Frida Björk Ingvarsdottir are is taken from a new, impressive book on Roni Horn that Reykjavik Art Museum is publishing in conjunction with the exhibition. The book is designed by Roni Horn and Börkur Arnarson, and it reveals images of many of Ronis most important works and a speech that she gave at the Iceland Academy of the Arts last year.
Roni Horn (b. 1955) is an American born artist, living in New York. She earned her a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1975 and an MFA from Yale University in 1978. Roni Horn is internationally known for the rigor and evocative presence of her precisely conceived works, ranging from sculptural objects to books, to photographic installations. She has exhibited her works since the early 1980s and has presented solo exhibitions at major international museums.
Reykjavik Art Museum
Established in 1973, the Reykjavík Art Museum is the largest visual art institution in Iceland. Its mission to present contemporary art in its many manifestations is carried out through diverse programs at the museums three venues: Hafnarhús, Kjarvalssta_ir, and the sculpture museum and park, Ásmundarsafn.
Reykjavik Art Museum likes to extend its gratitude to:
Kaupthing Bank as the main sponsor of the exhibition.
Samskip for the transport of the artworks.
Roni Horns Galleries, Hauser and Wirth and i8.
The exhibition is part of the Reykjavik Arts Festival.
Public events
Saturday 12 May, 14:00
Lecture
Art historian Linda Norden gives a talk about the works of Roni Horn. (In English)
Sunday 3 June, 15:00
Lecture
Guja Dögg Hauksdóttir, Head of the Department of Architecture, discusses the anonymous architecture of swimming pools in Icelandic nature, inspired by the works of Roni Horn.
Further information:
Soffía Karlsdóttir, Listasafn Reykjavíkur / Reykjavik Art Museum Hafnarhús Tryggvagötu 17, 101 Reykjavík Tel: 354 590 1200 Fax: 354 590 1201 soffia.karlsdottir@reykjavik.is www.listasafnreykjavikur.is
Images in high resolution can be found at this site: www.listasafnreykjavikur.is/en/press/press
VATNASAFN/LIBRARY OF WATER in Stykkishólmur was conceived by Roni Horn in 2004 as a sculpture installation and a community centre, offering both a space for quiet reflection and a room for meetings and gatherings.VATNASAFN/LIBRARY OF WATER was opened to the public in the beginning of May 2007.