The American-Scandinavian Foundation is pleased to announce Inside Voices, Outside Light: Perspectives on West Nordic Art, opening at Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America on April 18, 2026. A group exhibition featuring 21 contemporary artists from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway, Inside Voices, Outside Light highlights the unique perspective of these North Atlantic territories, who share cultural and historical ties while each possessing distinct identities and communities. With works ranging across photography, paintings, textiles, film, and sculpture, including three site-specific installations, the exhibition also showcases the diversity and complexity of the region.

Participating artists include Morten Andenæs (NO), The Arctic Creatures (IC), Per Barclay (NO), Ask Bjørlo (NO), Jóhan Martin Christiansen (FO), Helgi Þorgils Friðjónsson (IC), Inuk Silis Høegh (GL), Hansina Iversen (FO), Rannva Kunoy (FO), Nils Erichsen Martin (NO), Trine Lise Nedreaas (NO), Camille Norment (NO), Lisbeth Karline Poulsen (GL), Ragna Róbertsdóttir (IC), Agnieszka Sosnowska (IC), Inuuteq Storch (GL), Silja Strøm (FO), Steina and Woody Vasulka (IC), and Jens Dam Ziska (FO).

The exhibition will open with a special Opening Day Celebration on Saturday, April 18 featuring a curator walkthrough (1 PM), a screening of The Green Land, directed by Inuk Silis Høegh (2 PM), and a book launch and artist panel with Kinna Poulsen, Hansina Iversen, Jóhan Martin Christiansen, and Emily Stoddart (3 PM). On view through June 20, 2026, ongoing related programming will include Gallery Tours and more.

Connected through geography and culture including Norse history, reliance on marine resources, and shared Arctic/maritime focus distinct from continental Scandinavia, the West Nordic countries form a distinct sub-region within the larger Nordic area. While the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland, all share colonial ties with Denmark, each country has a distinct culture and identity, with geographical locations closer to neighbors in the west: Canada, the U.S., the UK and Ireland. Each region presents a unique perspective.

Borrowing from the title of a collection of poetry by Icelandic poet, translator and film director Sigurður Pálsson, Inside Voices, Outside Light brings together a diverse spectrum of work from the West Nordic region, from the haunting, almost surreal, and authentic images in Inuk Silis Høegh’s four-part film The Green Land; to the high energy and humor of the artist collective The Arctic Creatures; to the intricate and delicate textile tapestries of Ask Bjørlo. With current geopolitical conditions renewing interest in the area, some works also confront misconceptions. Lisbeth Karline Poulsen depicts resistance and strength in reaction to the current annexation threats, while Trine Lise Nedreaas explores our shared experience of a temporal existence in a relentless eternity. The exhibition also features site-specific work by Camille Norment, Hansina Iversen and Jóhan Martin Christiensen.

Organized by ASF, the exhibition has been curated by Emily Stoddart, Manager of Exhibitions at Scandinavia House, with the support of three curator consultants: Karin Hellandsjø (Norway), Kinna Poulsen (Faroe Islands), and Pari Stave (Iceland). Major support has been provided by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs. Additional support has been provided by the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation and The Royal Norwegian Consulate in New York. Support has also been provided by the following ASF Funds: The Bonnier Family Fund for Contemporary Art, The F. Donald Kenney Fund for Visual Arts, and The Kronquist Mesaros Memorial Endowment Fund.

Banner Image (clockwise from left): Jóhan Martin Christiansen, Crush, 2025 (Credit: I DO ART Agency); The Arctic Creatures: Hrafnkell Sigurdsson, Óskar Jónasson and Stefán Jónsson, Icarus (Credit: The Arctic Creatures); Inuk Silis Høegh, The Green Land, 2021 (Credit: Ánorâk Films); Morten Andenæs, Sol, 2025 (Courtesy of the artist and Galleri Riis, Oslo)