The exhibition NUMBERS | PLACES presents a new installation by artist Þór Vigfússon which he created specifically for the Gerðarsafn exhibition hall. The exhibition consists of numerous equal-sized coloured glass squares, spread around the hall in a particular fashion, creating an interaction between colours, form and space.
At first glance, Vigfússon’s exhibition appears to be a low-key, abstract installation that evokes a connection with minimalist works. However, in spite of the humble material selection and presentation, one can, upon a closer look, discern a complex ideological approach to the sculpture form itself.
Here, the artist ponders, among other things, the aesthetic possibilities of glass and other industrial material, and how their technical execution can shape the viewer’s perception. The exhibition is based on the idea that not only the presentation, but also the location of the artwork, the environment that the artwork appears in, directly affects the viewer’s experience and the meaning the artwork, and the space surrounding it, evokes in them.
Vigfússon almost always creates his work as a variation of certain rules that he establishes for himself during the creative process. The works take on diverse forms and can be viewed from many directions. The artist’s wall art, like the one exhibited here, where he presents geometric shapes made from glass, plexiglass or mirrors, can be interpreted as sculpture, relief or even as painting. However, Vigfússon’s work carry strong author characteristics and imprint a powerful effect on the exhibition space as well as the viewers.
Þór Vigfússon was awarded the Gerður Prize in 2021, for his rich contribution to sculpture and spatial art in Iceland. The prize is given in honor of sculptor Gerður Helgadóttir, to outstanding Icelandic sculptors. The exhibitionNUMBERS | PLACES is Vigfússon’s second solo exhibition in the museum, but his first was in 1999. To mark this occasion, he also opens an exhibition in Y Gallery, an exhibition space in a formerpetrol station in the underground car park at Hamraborg, Kópavogur.
