TUE—November 18—6:30 PM, free

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MoreLectures + Literary

Join us on November 18 for an evening with prodigious Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir as she discusses the new book covering her wide-reaching career, HUMAN: Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir! The first major publication focused exclusively on capturing her 45 years as an artist, HUMAN contains images of all Thórarinsdóttir’s major works, as well as discussions from both Icelandic and international experts about her artistic vocation and works from various perspectives.

Thórarinsdóttir’s works — life-size, anonymous sculptures of human figures forged from aliminum and steel — gesture towards a universal humanity, whether they’re displayed in the nooks of American museums or scrambling up trellises outside of galleries in Denmark. Their featureless, genderless forms draw a stark contrast with their welcoming, all-too-familiar stances, posed as if interacting naturally with their environment. Wherever they might be, the representations of Thórarinsdóttir’s ouevre reach and twist through the pages of HUMAN to evoke a raw connectivity that transcends outward appearances.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir has exhibited worldwide during her celebrated 45-year career. She has had three large travelling shows at museums and public places in major US cities, including Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, San Antonio, and NYC, among others. Her 12-piece installation, Horizons, has travelled to ten venues. Another major traveling installation, Borders, which was initially installed by the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, is now in its tenth venue. Steinunn has had public and gallery shows in the hearts of European cities such as London and Copenhagen. In 2018, Steinunn ́s public art show, Armors, was exhibited in Fort Tryon Park, NYC, in collaboration with NYC Parks Public Art Program and in cooperation with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2023 Steinunn had a major solo show, Wayfinders, in the National Nordic Museum in Seattle.

Her work is included in prominent museums, public and private collections worldwide, and have been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, The Times UK, and The Art Newspaper. In 2009, she was awarded the Order of the Falcon by the President of Iceland. An award-winning documentary about her work was made by American filmmaker Frank Cantor in 2009 titled Horizons, the art of Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir. To learn more about Steinunn and her work, visit https://www.steinunnth.com.