Proudly Presenting the Unpredictable

Artist Steingrímur Eyfjörð says that uncertainty makes him imbalanced. In a way it is rather ironic because many count him as the most unpredictable modern artist in Iceland. Who knows what he'll do for the Venice Biennale 2007. "I think people have to be balanced to make somehing sensible," says Steingrímur. "Many things make me imbalanced. Like when circumstances are unclear." He does not count himself as an organized man. "No, in a way I am not smart enough," he laughs. "I have to be organized at the moment but it is going slowly and it annoys me - I am annoyed because I have to organize," he says and explans the reason is the scope of his current project.

As the Icelandic representative for the next Venice Biennale, Steingrímur is well aware of the importance of hard work these days. He has been active in the Icelandic art world for 30 years but states that his project for the Biennale is a big challenge. "The context is so large, this is not just the Western world," he explains. "I suppose it will also make my other works more visible. And furthermore it has relevance for other Icelanders as well, even though many are not aware of the importance of this event."

Over 920,000 guests came to the Biennale last year but it is considered the most important modern art exhibition in the world. Tracing its history back to the year 1895 the exhibition is the place to see what's going on and what's going down and of course it matters who is going in the first place.

Taking Nothing for Granted

Steingrímur's work often conveys an open but blunt sociopolitical message. "Pretty early I decided that I wanted to make art pieces that do not embed a final conclusion. I wanted to make art that is like a possibility. Pieces that spark something, a method, longing or a way for the audience to find further possibilities in life in general. That people do not take things for granted," says Steingrímur and adds that the message against common consumerism and superficial entertainment has been present in his works for a long time and still are, like in the constant modern debate about how we choose to live our lives. "This has become a health issue nowadays," he says. "I think that the Ministry of Health should have looked into these issues ¿ they most certainly belong on their desks as well."

No Static Periods

It is no easy task to describe Steingrímur's art. He has worked in various forms and media, constantly searching, keeping versatile and open to influence. He says that his career could be divided into several periods but they are not static. "Sometimes I have been working on projects that are connected to a certain study ¿ but then the results are only partially visible in the piece. But there have been times when I am looking into specific things." For example he recently did an exhibition that was sparked by a picture in a local paper. The show was called "Bone in a Landslide" and described aspects of the Icelandic experience of nature, referring to trolls and elves and other creatures.

Understanding and Belief

Faith and different forms of belief remain central to his works, and he says that the idea of "truth" is very important to him. "There has to be something true in the piece, something real," he states. "Opposed to something that is fake. It is just this feeling that I need to have when I am dealing with things ¿ that there is something true in it. It is almost subjective."

When describing his works he says that the best results he experiences are when something happens unconsciously in the process. "It is best when I'm not conscious of what I am doing, often something happens on the way but the understanding comes afterwards." That result can give him great pleasure. "It is something like pleasure, mixed with other emotions, like courage and a sense of certainty."

Picking Up the Pieces

"I went to the countryside once and was planning to make pictures of something there - to try to make pictures of nature. But I couldn't, there was nothing to be added, you can't do better. It was complete in itself," says Steingrímur and adds that nature is one of the great qualities of living on this island. "This is something that environmentalists should take into their equation. It is the stories, the myths and folklore that give nature this sense of life; it is not dead. Even though you don't know the story behind it, many Icelanders sense it," he says. "And you can't put a price tag on this, it is something that can't be bought."

He explains that our cultural heritage is becoming more and more important. "Maybe there is some kind of a romantic period rising again," he ponders. Who knows, perhaps people have had enough of tearing things down and disintegrating - maybe we need to pick up the pieces and start adding them up again?

Text by Kristrún Heiða Hauksdóttir

Photo by Heiða Helgadóttir