An exhibition bringing the striking diversity of the Faroe Islands’ contemporary art scene to the U.S. for the first time, Fog Swept Cargo — Art from the Faroe Islands is now on view at Scandinavia House through July 6, 2024, featuring seven versatile visual artists whose works range widely in terms of expression, media, and technique: Hansina Iversen, Rannvá Kunoy, Tóroddur Poulsen, Hanni Bjartalíð, Randi Samsonsen, Alda Mohr Eyðunardóttir and Jóhan Martin Christiansen. Presented in conjunction with Fog Swept Islands: Faroe Islands Culture Days and curated by Kinna Poulsen, the works in the exhibition range from abstract painting and sculpture to figurative graphic art, textile works, and installations, and will also highlight the pioneering work of lithography studio Steinprent, whose atelier in the capital of Tórshavn attracts artists across the world for collaboration.
Related programming includes a series of Adult Art Workshops with Melkorka Helgadottir beginning Thursday, April 25 from 6-8 PM with “Fog Swept Manhattan,” in which participants will create mixed-media collages inspired by the work of artist Hanni Bjartalið. Our April 13 Opening featured a panel with artists Hansina Iversen, Randi Samsonsen, Jóhan Martin Christiansen, and Alda Mohr Eyðunardóttir, and Kinna Poulsen, moderated by Emily Stoddart, which is now available to stream here. The exhibition continues alongside other programming including in-person and virtual Gallery Tours, and Faroe Islands Culture Days also continues with programs including a Virtual Film Series (now through May 5), the upcoming performance “Songs of the Nordic Lands and Isles” with musicians Colin Levin & Evan Fein on May 17, and more.
Though isolated in the North Atlantic Ocean, Faroese society has historically had a cosmopolitan character due to its seaway connections and trade. Though weather always has the last word when it comes to the daily lives of the Faroese, more than winds bring change to the Islands — diverse experiences and exchange are also brought ashore from its artists, as they return from formal art education abroad. While during the 20th century most Faroese visual art was dominated by motifs favoring natural landscapes, today’s Faroese art is characterized by an eclectic mix of media.
Paintings of Hansina Iversen create shifting organic forms and dynamic structures, while the unsettling use of motion in those by Rannvá Kunoy recall the flickering on-screen effects of vintage film projectors. Poet, musician and visual artist Tóroddur Poulsen combines graphic and literary expression to generate satirical reflections on capitalism, nationalism, and cultural norms. Drawings and reliefs by Hanni Bjartalíð feature patterns and details serving as contemporary memento mori, while Randi Samsonsen’s soft, round textile sculptures disarm viewers with their unexpectedly ominous undertones. Alda Mohr Eyðunardóttir explores tactile properties of materials often associated with Faroese culture and craftsmanship, especially wool; and Jóhan Martin Christiansen explores subjects such as natural and man-made environments, queer body memory, and pop music.
FOG SWEPT CARGO — ARTIST INTRODUCTION
FOG SWEPT CARGO — OPENING PANEL DISCUSSION