The projects
An installation I was comissioned to do for the cultural night in Reykjavik 2002 and sponsored by the shipping company SAMSKIP. I chose to make this piece in collaboration with the artists: Asdis Sif Gunnarsdottir, Gunnhildur Hauksdottir and Ingibjorg Magnadottir. We built a 7 meters high structure out of 12 shipping containers. It was situated in downtown Reykjavik for this one night. The containers were all open and we filled them with various things. On one side of the structure we had 3 containers with a backscreen projection of a film we made together. The film is made so that there are 3 variations of the same film, one on each screen. On the same side we had a container with a slideshow portraying two clothed women engaged in a heterosexual act. In the same container there was a sound piece, one could hear two men talking in a gentle way about their feelings about having sex with women. Beside it was a container with a sculpture of a moving ghost asking: Are you afraid? and then it laughed horribly. The last container on the same side had a viking-magician performing now and then. On the other side of the structure there were 3 silver-coloured containers all designed around a dj. In one of them was the dj with his turntables and next to it was a dance container for people to dance in. Above the dj was a container with disco-lights projected on the street. Outside were big loudspeakers. It functioned really well, people were dancing on the street and listening to the music. At one point just before Reykjavik had its annual firework-show and everyone was standing and waiting on the hill Arnarholl that was facing our structure. Then we had a mens choir singing masculine, icelandic songs on top of the structure. This night is really lively in Reykjavik and around 100.000 people where out and about that night, That is almost half of the population in the Reykjavik area.
bjargey ólafsdóttir
born 1972 in reykjavík
lives and works in reykjavík
iceland