Icelandic Art Center
March 21, 2025
The Icelandic Art Prize 2025 was awarded on March 20 in Reykjavík. The awards provide recognition to outstanding visual artists and exhibitions.
Pétur Thomsen (b.1973) receives the Icelandic Art Prize as Artist of the Year 2025 for his solo exhibition Settlement at Hafnarborg—the Hafnarfjörður Centre of Culture and Fine Art.
The exhibition Settlement is a photographic project by Thomsen that explores the coexistence of humanity and nature, focusing on the imbalance and trauma caused by human development. The works highlight disruptions in nature, such as scars in the soil and signs of human neglect. In Hafnarborg's main gallery, large-scale photographs—some singular, others in multi-panel compositions—are presented without glass, resembling canvas paintings. Thomsen's presentation encourages viewers to reflect on the impact of human actions, which contribute to global warming and natural disasters. The exhibition serves as a call to consider our personal connection to the environment, with Thomsen’s mastery of photography sparking a powerful dialogue between the artwork and the audience.
Thomsen completed an MFA in photography at the École nationale supérieure de la photographie in Arles, France, in 2004. He has received various awards for his work and has been a prominent participant in exhibitions and other projects in Iceland and abroad. The relationship between humans and nature has been a central theme in Thomsen’s photographic works, demonstrating evidence of humans’ encroachment on their environment.
The recipient of the Motivational Award is Helena Margrét Jónsdóttir (b.1996). Since graduating, Jónsdóttir has actively participated in the art scene, with solo exhibitions at the Reykjavík Art Museum and Ásmundarsalur, and additionally she has attracted attention abroad, including Milan, London and Beijing.
The Honorary Award 2025 was presented to artist Erró (b.1932), one of Iceland’s leading visual artists. With a career spanning over six decades, Erró has gained both local and international recognition for his visually rich work. Known for his "voracious" consumption of images from diverse cultures, he categorizes and reuses them in a non-hierarchical way. Erró's distinctive compositions challenge the notion of the artist as a genius, as he seeks to bring visual art down from the pedestal of high art by incorporating popular imagery. A product of his time, he continues to redefine himself today.
The exhibition Transformation / Works by Gerður Helgadóttir curated by Cecilie Gaihede at Gerðarsafn Art Museum received an award for Retrospective of the Year. The exhibition 50/100/55 Anniversary Exhibition of the Textile Association at Hlöðuloftið, Korpúlfsstaðir, curated by Ægis Zita received the Group Show of the Year award. The Award for a Publication on Visual Art goes to the photography book FÖR by Aqnieszka Sosnowska. It is an impressive publication in which nature, society and personal history intersect.
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