Around what does knowledge crystallize within art research as a special field? and how possibilities arise for novelty, critical perspective, and the impossibility of art within a context that has an epistemological basis? There are examples of questions that I will address in the lecture.
The aim of analyzing and clarifying these phenomena is to make it possible to better account for art research as an epistemological process, to increase understanding of how fields of study or knowledge are formed around art research.

NARP's goal was to graduate artists from all disciplines with a PhD that was equivalent to other PhDs but different in that the research was 100% practical/artistic. Development of the website is also woven into the lecture; The Research Catalog, which was founded as a media platform for art research and to bridge the gap between practical art research and doctoral theses. The lecture will be delivered as a PowerPoint presentation.

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The NARP experiment 2003 – 2024

Artistic Research in Norway – a brief history

In this presentation I will trace the history, development and specialty of the Norwegian Artistic Research Program which was founded in 2003, but will this year be faded out in the form it has been operating. NARP aimed to develop and cultivate an artistic research environment / community where the main emphasis was on the artistic research but not on thesis writing. NARP aimed at graduating artists from all fields with a PhD degree which was equal to other PhD degrees but different since the research was 100% artistic/practice based. The development of The Research Catalog is interwoven into this story and was founded as an online dissemination platform for artistic research and meant to bridge the gap between practice based artistic research and PhD thesis writing. The lecture will be presented as a Power Point presentation.

Some of the experiments were shown publicly at The Kitchen in New York, while others later found their way to the Video Museum of Media Study/Buffalo, a department at the State University of New York that was specifically created to promote knowledge of new media such as video. The intention is to examine whether at the University of Buffalo research has been conducted in the field of video art, which has had an impact on the knowledge of the characteristics of video and the development of the visual language of video art and how that knowledge creation took place. At the same time, questions will be raised about the distinction that has been made between experimental art, research and artwork with video art as a reference.

Margrét Elísabet Ólafsdóttir, professor of art studies at the art department of Iceland University of the Arts

Experiment or Research: An Emerging New Art

In this lecture, the intention is to look back at the early years of video art and especially the career of Steina and Woody Vasulka, who started experimenting with video around 1970. Some of the experiments were shown publicly at The Kitchen in New York, while others later found their way to the Videotape Library at Media Study/Buffalo, a department in the State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo that was specifically created to promote knowledge in new media such as video. This lecture intends to examine whether the research carried out in the field of video art, has had an impact on the knowledge of properties of the video and the development of the imagery of video art and how that creation of knowledge took place. At the same time, questions will be raised about the distinction that has been made between experimental art, research and artwork with video art as a reference.

It will be examined how an artist's ideas and experiments continue to ferment under the surface and can emerge much later and materialize in different media, as a different kind of work or design product.

In the era of technology, information and artificial intelligence, the role of the artist raises questions. Is the artist becoming obsolete, or is sensory knowledge, his artistry and intention in collaboration with the machine and automatic processes one key to the formation of contemporary aesthetics?

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This talk traces the evolution of Primitive, a generative jewelery design project that blends human creativity with machine precision. Katrín Ólína delves into how years of experimental storytelling and two-dimensional explorations evolved into a collection of symbolic talismans, highlighting the dynamic interplay between intuition, tacit knowledge, and digital tools. The project demonstrates how creative experiments can resurface and migrate across mediums, where human insight and technology merge to create meaningful designs.

In an age dominated by technology, information, and artificial intelligence, the role of the artist invites reflection. Is the artist becoming obsolete, or do their tacit knowledge, artistic sensibility, and ability to infuse intention into collaborations with machines and automated processes remain essential in shaping contemporary aesthetics?

Katrín Ólína is an Icelandic industrial designer with a diverse international and academic career. Her interdisciplinary work spans product design, interior design, graphic art, and research. Ólína led the Product Design program at the Iceland University of the Arts from 2000 to 2004 and is currently the head of its Design Department.

In the talk, Fraser will use theory and case studies to show how he re-incorporates sensory knowledge and craft into the design process, interweaving the thoughts, decisions and processes that characterize both practices of certainty and risk.

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'Workmanship of risk', an idea formulated by David Pye in 1968, utilizes any kind of technique or system 'in which the quality of the result is not predetermined, but depends on the judgment, dexterity, and care which the maker exercises as he works'. This is in contrast to the workmanship of certainty found in mass production, where the quality of the product is always predetermined before anything is actually made.

Through a combination of theory and case studies, this presentation will illustrate how I incorporate tacit knowledge and workmanship back into the design process and intertwine the thoughts, decisions and processes that characterize both the workmanship of certainty and the workmanship of risk.

Professor Fraser Muggeridge is a graphic designer based in London. Throughout a wide range of formats, from artists' books and exhibition catalogs to posters, marketing material, exhibitions, websites, film titles and music, the studio prioritizes artists' and writers' content over the imposition of a signature style. By allowing images and texts to sustain their own intent and impact, each project is approached with typographic form and letterform playing a key role in arriving at a sympathetic yet subtly alluring object.

www.pleasedonotbend.co.uk

We used various methods (including asking, reading, interviewing, walking around, working in groups, inviting others to participate, recording and creating events). In this seminar, we are going to tell about a community project that was developed in Borgarnes, "To get out in Brákarey" (February-June 2024), where diverse working methods were used that resulted in creative events with the participation of local people.

Emily Lethbridge is a research associate professor at Árnastofnun. Her research focuses on the medieval literature of Iceland, especially in terms of the preservation and reception of ancient texts in a concrete context. She is also a teacher within the Faculty of Humanities at UI. See more: https://www.arnastofnun.is/is/estofunt/starfsfolk/emily-lethbridge.

Sarah Woods is an award-winning author and expert in creative systems thinking. Her and Boff Whalley's SANCTUARY, a musical about asylums, church and state, opens in England in September. Her adaptation of DEMOCRACY by Alexis de Tocqueville was recognized as "BBC Radio 4 Drama of the Week". She is the co-PI of the KVENNASPOR project.

Bergdís is an actress, director, screenwriter and acting teacher. She founded the theater group Spindrift with six actresses who have written and performed plays for 10 years and traveled with them around the Nordic countries, Great Britain and next to China. Bergdís's passion also lies in community arts and she works as a hospital clown at Children's Hospital Hringins and leads art workshops for children who have parents with mental health problems at Okkar heimi. Bergdís is currently studying at the Iceland Academy of the Arts for a master's in performing arts.

Gosia Trajkowska is a stage artist, visual artist and director. She works best in pairs. Together with Vera Popova, she directed the exhibitions "CRIMEA", "Pink Bitterness. Princesses”, “How To Disappear Completely”, “Dream Institution” and the three-part podcast “Beethoven Was a Lesbian”. Together with Agatha Lech, she created and directed two poetry films: "A Year without Summer" and "Ballad for Balconies". She has a fine arts degree from the Art School in Szczecin, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in performing arts at the Iceland Academy of the Arts.

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Kvennaspor was awarded a 3-year grant by Rannís in 2023. One of the key project aims is to bring creativity into traditional academic approaches and discourse, and to build creative responses to story and place on deeply-laid traditional academic foundations, bringing academic methods and materials into research through practical work. The project threads together a variety of modes of inquiry, questioning, reading, interviewing, walking practice, creative exploration and collaboration, participation, documentation, and artistic practice. The presentation will focus specifically on our community engagement project in Borgarnes 'Getting to Brakarey' (February to June 2024), which has used a variety of research methods to culminate in a creative, participatory community event.

Emily Lethbridge is Associate Research Professor at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. She works on Iceland's medieval literary heritage, exploring its transmission and reception in material contexts. She also teaches within the Humanities Department at the University of Iceland. See further: https://www.arnastofnun.is/is/estofenn/starfsfolk/emily-lethbridge

Sarah Woods is an award-winning writer and creative systems thinker. Her musical SANCTUARY, about refuge, church and state, written with Boff Whalley, opens this September. Her re-imagining of Tocqueville's DEMOCRACY was recently named BBC Radio 4 Drama of the Week. Sarah is co-PI of KVENNASPOR.

Bergdís Júlía Jóhannsdóttir Bergdís is an actress, director, scriptwriter and drama teacher. She founded Spindrift Theater with six actresses who have created performances for 10 years, touring around the Nordic countries, the UK and next in China. Bergdís is passionate about socially engaged art and works as a Health Clown at the Children's Hospital as well as working with children of parents with mental illnesses at Okkar Heimur. She is currently a student in the Icelandic University of the Arts on the master's program of performing arts.

Gosia Trajkowska is a performer, visual artist, and director. Most willingly she works in duets. Together with Vera Popova, she directed the performances "CRIMEA", "Pink Bitterness. Princesses”, “How To Disappear Completely”, “Dream Institution” and a three-episode “Beethoven Was a Lesbian” podcast. Together with Agata Lech, she directed and created two poetry films: "A year without summer" and "Ballad for Balconies". A graduate of Visual Arts at the Academy of Art in Szczecin. Currently, she is a student of the Performing Arts Master course at the Icelandic University of the Arts.

They are working on the development of an exhibition for Gerðarsafn in exhibition management and conversation with Becky Forsythe. The exhibition is based on micro-phenomenological interviews, but that method consists of getting the interviewees to describe their experiences of the Surtseyri environment and project a descriptive picture of their experiences and memories of previous (physical) experiences.

Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir (1985), graduated with a BA in art from the Iceland Academy of the Arts (2009) and an MA in art from the Glasgow School of Art (2013). In her work, she examines different objects and phenomena that are intertwined with our understanding and relationship with nature in times of great awareness. Þorgerður is one of the participants in the research project Relics of Nature and recently published the book Esseyja / Island Fiction in connection with his project about Surtsey.

Gunndís Ýr Finnbogadóttir lives and works in Iceland. She graduated with an MA in Art from the Piet Zwart Institute and Plymouth University in 2008 and an M.Art.Ed. in art education from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2011. Gunndís works as a lecturer at the art education department of the Iceland Academy of the Arts. She is a doctoral student at the University of Iceland, and studies environmental relations through movement and artistic thinking in an art research project aimed at the development of environmental education studies.

Becky Forsythe is the curator. In her projects, Becky has put a lot of emphasis on collaboration and relationship building, which she builds on insight, care and critical communication. As a curator, she has worked on exhibitions and publications in museums, galleries and artist-led projects in Iceland. Including the Reykjavík Art Museum, the New Art Museum, Hafnarborg, Gerðarsafn, Kling & Bang, ASÍ and Skaftfell. Becky holds a research position on the role of women in Icelandic art history at Reykjavík Art Museum and she is also part of the editorial board of the magazine Myndlist á Íslandi.

A clip from a video work

Presentation image: Image taken from Surtsey 3D, model built by Birgi Vilhelm Óskarsson, see details here

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Unstable Ground is a visual art project and artistic research by Gunndís Ýr Finnbogadóttir and Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir, based on interviews with individuals who traveled to Surtsey between 1966 and 2022, among other things. Their exhibition opens in Gerðarsafn in autumn 2024, curated and in dialogue with Becky Forsythe. The exhibition is based on micro-phenomenological interviews, a method that supports interviewees to describe their experience of the environment of Surtsey and present a vivid picture of their perceptions and memories from previous (physical) experiences.

Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir graduated with a BA in Fine Arts at Iceland University of the Arts (2009) and MA in Fine Arts at the Glasgow School of Art (2013). In her practice she considers various things that are connected to our understanding of and relation to the natural world as it meets, overlaps and is interpreted within human environments. She is a part of the research project Relics of Nature and recently published the book Island Fiction in relation to her ongoing project about Surtsey island. www.thorgerdurolafsdottir.info

Gunndís Ýr Finnbogadóttir lives and works in Iceland. She graduated with an MA in Fine Art from the Piet Zwart Institute and Plymouth University in 2008 and M.Art.Ed. in art education from the Iceland University of the Arts in 2011. Gunndís is an assistant professor at the Iceland University of the Arts, Department of Arts Education. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Iceland, investigating environmental immersion and movement in thinking in an artistic research project aimed at developing environmental pedagogies.

Becky Forsythe is a curator whose practice centers relationship building and collaboration as methods for curating with intuition, care and critical exchange. As curator Becky has initiated, led and collaborated on exhibitions and publications in museums, galleries and artist-led initiatives in Iceland including, Reykjavík Art Museum, The Living Art Museum, Hafnarborg, Gerðarsafn, Kling & Bang, ASÍ and Skaftfell. Becky currently holds the research position on the role of women in Icelandic art at Reykjavík Art Museum and is on the editorial board of the magazine Art in Iceland.

In that context, RSG believes it is important to simultaneously promote dialogue between researchers with different backgrounds and methods, who, however, have in common a connection to the business life of culture and creative industries; and between them and the people who work in this field, not least those who carry out the core activities of artistic creation and dissemination. The aim of the talk is to open this conversation and examine whether and how RSG can support art research and its dissemination, come to assessments and research on the value of art and art research, and examine whether and how the methods of art research can be used in research conducted by the center.

Erla Rún Guðmundsdóttir is the director of the Creative Arts Research Center. She previously worked at Statistics Iceland as an expert in cultural statistics, where she was involved in the development and improvement of various data collections and publications, including in relation to cultural indicators and a sample study of cultural and media consumption by nationals. Erla Rún has a master's degree in management and finance in arts, culture and creative industries.

Research Center for Creative Arts

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The Icelandic Research Center for the Creative Industries (RCCI) was founded in 2023, with the aim of promoting and strengthening research regarding cultural and creative economy. In that context, RCCI believes it is important to simultaneously promote dialogue between researchers with varying backgrounds and methodology, who, however, have in common a connection to the cultural and creative economy; and between them and the people who work in this field, not least those who carry out the core activities of artistic creation and dissemination. The goal of this talk is to open this dialogue and examine whether and how RCCI can support art research and its dissemination, assist with studies and research on the value of art and art research, and to examine if and how arts-based research methods could be used in research conducted by the center.

2. Steingerður Lóa Gunnarsdóttir // Games as art and learning – understanding games as interdisciplinary works and tools.

Games are an art form that crosses borders. They appear in the art world in the form of visual poems or interactive works that emphasize the unique experience of the participant. Game making is one of the most multidisciplinary forms you can find: it requires visual and audio art, programming, graphic design, game, experience and lip design, and artistic intuition. The game is in our blood and this is how we learn and study the world from a wet childhood. A form of learning and research that everyone should follow as an example for the rest of their lives.

Steingerður earned an MFA in game design from NYU Tisch in 2015. She has published three progressive and award-winning video games: Sumer, Triple Agent, and Out of the Loop. Steingerður is part of the game art group Isle of Games and has been teaching game design at Reykjavík University for the last 5 years.

Photo: Steingerður Image: Isle of Games

3. Joost Rekveld // Lightning Empiricism; Thinking Through Devices

What can humans learn from interacting with the machines they have built? Artist Joost Rekveld explores that question through physical experiences of machines belonging to various eras in the history of technology and science. The results of that research can be seen in the form of alien phenomena in the abstract films he creates.

Joost's dynamic films have been screened at film festivals and art venues around the world. Since 1996, he has taught in various fields where art and science meet.

More information at http://www.joostrekveld.net/ 

English

Thinking with and through devices – the impact of technological development on the human senses and artistic explorations. Seminar at Hugarflug held in connection to the establishment of a joint study program between Iceland Academy of the Arts and Reykjavík University in digital art and interactive technology.

1. Hidden Bird // Performing Arts in Physical and VR spaces – Practical & Aesthetic approaches

Huldufugl will speak about their work in creating immersive, audience-centric experiences both in physical spaces and the virtual. This will range from practical concerns, eg how to handle motion in virtual reality, to aesthetic, sensory and storytelling techniques, to methods of including live performance (motion capture, IK systems, live director control etc).

Huldufugl consists of performer & producer Nanna Gunnars and digital artist Owen Hindley. More info at huldufugl.is 

An overview of how I've toggled digital and analog techniques in the production of sculptural projects. My interest lies mainly in how small and visually striking analog physical objects or models can be transferred into the digital realm, reworked, processed and eventually reversed back into an analog end product. The digital is a very useful tool both for upscaling, visualization and analysis of object properties but its aesthetics are not always desirable.

Carl Boutard is a Swedish visual artist living in Iceland since 2017. He currently works as an associate professor and BA program director at the IUA. His work is mostly sculptural and often situated in public spaces. Carl graduated with an MA from Malmö Art Academy in 2007 and also has a BSc in Architecture from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

Discover the future of sustainable design with hemp fibers, as emphasized by the New European Bauhaus initiative. This innovative study showcases the potential of hemp fibers in acoustic design, enabling the creation of sound-absorbing interior elements, furniture, and more. By integrating hemp fibers into modern architecture and design, we can significantly enhance sustainable construction practices. Hemp fibers are renewable and have a low environmental impact, making them an ideal choice for eco-friendly design solutions. Join us in promoting a greener future through the use of these versatile and sustainable materials. Embrace the New European Bauhaus vision and transform your spaces with the natural, sound-absorbing qualities of hemp.

Vilte Adomaviciute is a biomaterial researcher, interior architect, and designer currently working as a scientist in the New European Bauhaus project. She holds two master's degrees, one from the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VDA) and another from the Iceland University of the Arts (LHI). Her main focus is on sound-absorbing biomaterials.

Today, a large part of products are produced so far from consumers that there is no connection with the production. In the past, there was a direct link between industry and population, but the traditions and material assets of each place are easily forgotten. The research thesis sheds light on sensory knowledge and the aforementioned relationships through artistic observation followed by material, form, craft, image and text.

The starting point is the design and documentation of Masonite, which the design duo Folkform worked on for more than a decade, but today Masonite is a synonym for different types of fiberboard. The study begins among the documents of the Masonite brand, spelled with a capital "M", the wood fiber material invented in the United States by William H. Mason in the second decade of the last century. When the last Masonite factory in Sweden closed in 2011, Masonite became a historical cultural heritage.

The study paints a picture of the collaboration between designers and craftsmen in various workshops, mainly within the Swedish manufacturing industry. The importance of the closeness of the design process to the production is highlighted and the numerous relationships hidden behind the creation process of the product are identified.

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The Production Novellas is an artistic investigation of material and place, revealing a decade of research by Anna Holmquist, co-founder of Folkform design studio. Told through her 10-year collaboration with a now-closed Masonite factory in Rundvik, Norrbotten, Holmquist examines how design can re-connect consumers with industry, craft and local traditions.

A large part of the production today is manufactured so far from the consumer that there is no connection to the production. That there have historically been direct connections between an industry and the people, local traditions and material assets of the place is easily forgotten. The thesis makes the tacit knowledge and these relationships visible through an artistic exploration conducted through a combination of materials, form, craft, image and text.

The starting point in the thesis is the design and documentation of Masonite, which the design duo Folkform worked on for more than a decade. Masonite has become synonymous with an entire range of different types of fibreboard. This investigation takes its starting point in sheets of the Masonite brand, spelled with a capital "M" and a lowercase "e" at the end, a wood fiber material invented by William H. Mason in the United States in the 1920s. When the last Masonite factory in Sweden closed in 2011, Masonite became a historical and cultural heritage.

The thesis portrays the collaboration between designers and craftsmen in various workshops, mainly within the Swedish manufacturing industry. It highlights the importance of a design process close to production and shows the many relationships hidden behind the product's creation process.

Anna Holmquist is one of the founders of the art and design studio Folkform.
Folkform first entered the public spotlight with their experimental work with materials, especially
Masonite where flowers and plants are pressed into the boards - giving them a brand new expression. Folkform has also become an international name and has received several prestigious design awards. Their work can be found in the permanent design exhibition at Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Röhsska in Gothenburg and in The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo, to mention a few places.

Anna Holmquist is also working with interdisciplinary design research, at Konstfack University College of art and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, focusing on materials. She has been an invited lecturer at Beckmans School of Design, HDK and many other universities and institutions in Sweden.

Gunndís Ýr Finnbogadóttir lives and works in Iceland. She graduated with an MA in Art from the Piet Zwart Institute and Plymouth University in 2008 and an M.Art.Ed. in art education from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2011. Gunndís works as a docent at the art education department of the Iceland Academy of the Arts. She is a doctoral student at the University of Iceland, and studies environmental relations through movement and artistic thinking in an art research project aimed at the development of environmental education studies.

Kristín Valsdóttir is an associate professor at the Department of Art Education at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Kristína's research and work focuses on music education, art teacher education, learning culture and lifelong learning for artists and teachers. She holds a B.Ed. as a music education teacher from the Iceland Teachers College, a master's degree in music and dance pedagogy from the Orff Institute, Mozarteum and a master's degree in education in 2006 and a doctorate in 2019 from the University of Iceland.

Guðbjörg R. Jóhannesdóttir is an associate professor at the Department of Art Education at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Environmental philosophy has been at the forefront of her work since she began studying philosophy at the University of Iceland. She graduated with a master's degree in Values ​​and the Environment from Lancaster University and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Iceland. Guðbjargar's research focuses on environmental aesthetics, environmental ethics, phenomenology, perceived knowledge, physicality, landscape, interdisciplinary work and participation.

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In the department of art education, the aim is to promote students' self-knowledge and understanding of sensory knowledge. In the talk, we will discuss "tacit knowledge" in the education of art teachers based on selected examples from the work and the faculty's participation in the research project: Make Sense: Embodied, Experiential Inquiry and Research (MakeSense). Then we will discuss the methods of Focusing, Thinking at the Edge and Micro-phenomenology and how they are helpful in studies and research.

Gunndís Ýr Finnbogadóttir lives and works in Iceland. She graduated with an MA in Fine Art from the Piet Zwart Institute and Plymouth University in 2008 and M.Art.Ed. in art education from the Iceland University of the Arts in 2011.
Gunndís is an associate professor at the Iceland University of the Arts, Department of Arts Education. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Iceland, investigating environmental immersion and movement in thinking in an artistic research project aimed at developing environmental pedagogies.

Kristín Valsdóttir is an associate professor at the Iceland University of the Arts' department of art education. She completed a B.Ed. as a music teacher, a diploma in music and dance from Orff Institut, 1992, an M.Ed degree from the University of Iceland in 2006 and a PhD in 2019. Her research focuses on music education, teacher training, learning culture and arts- teachers professional development.

Guðbjörg R. Jóhannesdóttir is an associate professor at the Iceland University of the Arts' department of art education. Her research centers on environmental ethics, phenomenology and aesthetics, and she has published papers and book chapters on landscape, beauty and sensuous knowledge. Her current research within phenomenology and environmental aesthetics focuses on human-environment / body-landscape relations and processes, and their role in human thinking and understanding.

Also, the overlap of culture and nature in her works is especially examined with regard to natural hazards, but many of her works have an urgent mission for the present, which is characterized by an effort to rethink the footprints that humans have left in nature, the sky and the earth with all their living things. Her works disappearing around the great river Þjórsá became, among other things, the source for the theme of the Suðurlandsbiennale in the summer of 2024, which includes the journeys of visual artists, designers, architects and scholars on the banks of Þjórsá from estuaries to sources. The project, collaboration, approaches and research results of the participant of the biennial will be reported.

Aðalheiður Lilja Guðmundsdóttir (b. 1968) is a self-employed researcher. She studied philosophy in Iceland and philosophy of art in France. In the years 2010–2021, she worked as the head of art studies and a lecturer at the Fine Arts Department of the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Aðalheiður Lilja has carried out various projects in the fields of art studies and visual arts, including research, writing and exhibition production. Her research has focused on contemporary visual art, artists' book production and gender studies within art.

Agnes Ársælsdóttir (b. 1996) is an artist and exhibition director with an emphasis on the connection of a person to his environment, the methods of art research and the process of collaboration.
She graduated with a bachelor's degree in visual arts from the Iceland University of the Arts in the spring of 2018 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Exhibition Design, Communication and Exhibition Management at the University of Iceland. Her work has been shown both in Iceland and abroad, but recent projects include Á between issues at the Art Festival in Reykjavík 2024 and her solo exhibition Possible Garden in the Sculpture Garden of the Myndhöggvarafélag. Along with that, she curates the Suðurlandsbijæringin 2024 and the Hamraborg Festival.

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The session discusses triggers that have arisen from a research project on the visual artist Borghildi Óskarsdóttir (b. 1942) that ended in Marc 2024 with the publication of a book on her works and an exhibition at Reykjavík Art Museum. The research work is presented with an emphasis on Borghildur's material and interdisciplinary art research. Also, the overlap of culture and nature in her works is especially examined regarding natural hazards, but many of her works are urgently relevant, in times that are characterized by reflection on the human mark on nature. Her works about the great river Þjórsá became, among other things, the source for the theme of the South Iceland Biennale in the summer of 2024, which includes journeys of visual artists, designers, architects, and scholars on the banks of Þjórsá from estuaries to sources. The project of the Biennale, approaches and research results of participants, will be discussed.

Aðalheiður Lilja (b. 1968) is an independent researcher. She studied philosophy in Iceland and philosophy of art in France. In the years 2010–2021, she worked as a head of art theory studies and lecturer at the Fine Arts Department of the Iceland University of the Arts. She has carried out various projects in the fields of art theory and visual arts, including research, writing and exhibition making. Aðalheiður Lilja's research is in the field of contemporary art, artists' books and gender studies in the arts.

Agnes (b. 1996) is an artist and curator concerned with man's connection to their environment, techniques of artistic research, and collaborative processes. She graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from Iceland University of Arts in 2018 and currently studies masters of curation at the University of Iceland. Her works have been exhibited both in Iceland and abroad, among her recent projects are Inter-bite at Reykjavík Arts Festival and her solo show Potentially Garden at Reykjavík Association of Sculptors. She is also a curator for The South Iceland Biannual's 2024 edition and Hamraborg Festival.

Mamady Sano, Rokia Sano, Alpha Camara, Younoussa Camara and Ousmane Sylla are African dancers and drummers from Ballet Merveilles de Guinée from Guinea west Africa. They will perform an energetic African dance and drum show with the addition of answering questions about Guinean culture.

Mamady Sano is the artistic director of Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and one of the most sought-after African dance teachers from Guinea. He has traveled around the world promoting the culture of Guinea since he moved to New York in 1997 and was a teacher at Long Island University and Alvin Ailey, among others. Mamady now lives in Iceland and Guinea and still travels around the world to teach. Mamady is the founder of Dans Afríka Iceland whose main goal is to promote African dance, drumming and culture in Iceland and Guinea.

Rokia Sano is a fabulous dancer in the Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and a very popular teacher with students from all over the world who travel to Guinea. Rokia has traveled to Japan to teach dance to students. She is brilliant on stage and has participated in countless shows and events in Guinea.

Alpha Camara is a fabulous dancer at the Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and is brilliant on stage. He has participated in countless exhibitions and events in Guinea, helping Mamady to welcome students from all over the world and guide them through Guinean culture.

Ousmane Sylla is a phenomenal doun doun drummer in Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and Camara Percussion. He is brilliant on stage and known for his high energy drumming. Ousmane has participated in countless exhibitions and events in Guinea.

Younoussa Camara is a phenomenal Djémbe drummer in the Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and founder and director of Camara Percussion. He is considered one of the best drummers of his generation and is an excellent teacher. Younoussa is brilliant on stage and has participated in countless shows and events in Guinea and Senegal.

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Mamady Sano is the artistic director of Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and one of the most sought-after African dance teachers from Guinea. He has traveled around the world promoting the culture of Guinea since he moved to New York in 1997 and was a teacher at Long Island University and Alvin Ailey, among others. Mamady now lives in Iceland and Guinea and still travels around the world to teach. Mamady is the founder of Dans Afríka Iceland whose main goal is to promote African dance, drumming and culture in Iceland and Guinea.

Rokia Sano is a phenomenal dancer in the Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and a very popular teacher with students from all over the world who travel to Guinea. Rokia has traveled to Japan to teach dance to students. She is brilliant on stage and has participated in countless events in Guinea.

Alpha Camara is a phenomenal dancer in the Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and is brilliant on stage. He has participated in countless events in Guinea and helped Mamady to welcome students from all over the world and guide them through Guinean culture.

Ousmane Sylla is a phenomenal doun doun drummer in Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and Camara Percussion. He is brilliant on stage and known for his high energy drumming. Ousmane has participated in countless events in Guinea.

Younoussa Camara is a phenomenal Djémbe drummer in the Ballet Merveilles de Guinée and founder and director of Camara Percussion. He is considered one of the best drummers of his generation and is an excellent teacher. Younoussa is brilliant on stage and has participated in countless events in Guinea and Senegal.

ARRANGEMENT is an event on the border of an installation or studio as part of Þanið Þel's artistic research (2024-2027), but the project explores how visual perception, sound and movement can induce a meditative state, play with the senses and create a sense of intimacy in the context of live performance. Participants are invited to enter a space where patterns and shapes can be built from a number of sponge blocks. Simple instructions can be read on the walls, but otherwise the participants are free to follow, or participate without words. The goal is to create a space where communication takes place precisely through other bodies without words, to highlight a sensory and physical approach to how we learn and experience together. Visitors are invited to experience on their own terms and form their own connections, whether as spectators or participants.

Katrín Gunnarsdóttir is a choreographer living in Reykjavík. She is a docent at the Faculty of Performing Arts at LHÍ and head of the BA course in Contemporary Dance. Katrín has composed over a dozen dance pieces, participated in numerous projects in Iceland as well as abroad and received numerous awards and recognitions. Katrín has mostly done work for the stage, but also installations in museums and non-traditional spaces. In recent years, Katrín has been working on building a language of movement and imagery where flexibility, listening, ever-changing movement and the fusion of the body with its environment play a key role. Along with developing her own work, she works with the art group Marble Crowd. https://www.katringunnarsdottir.com/

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ARRANGEMENT is an event situated between an installation and workshop as a part of artistic research Soft Encounters (2024-2027), an ongoing research project that investigates how various audio and visual stimuli can trigger a meditative state, tingling sensation in order to create a feeling of intimacy in the context of live performance. Participants are invited to enter a space where patterns and shapes can be built from sponge cubes. Simple instructions can be read on the walls, but otherwise participants are free to follow, or participate without words. The goal is to create a space where communication takes place precisely through other bodies without words, to highlight a sensory and physical approach to how we learn and experience together. Visitors are invited to experience on their own terms and form their own connections, whether as spectators or participants.

Katrín Gunnarsdóttir is a Reykjavík-based choreographer, currently an associate professor at Iceland University of the Arts and program director of BA in Contemporary Dance Practices. Her work focuses on soft encounters, using embodied listening and affective labor of the dancer to create intricate choreographic landscapes. Katrín creates work for stage but also creates installations in galleries, museums and public spaces. She has made multi award-winning performances that have been shown around Iceland and in Europe. As well as focusing on her artistic practice, Katrín works with multidisciplinary Marble Crowd.

https://katringunnarsdottir.com/

In the previous years, he had written a great deal and taught people about the "science of work" and summarized his theories about it in the publications Wit og strit from 1915 and Work from 1917. Here the emphasis will be on the connection between these publications and Guðmund's presentation of the experience of time, natural time and rhythm, but it can be seen from Guðmund's materials that he is open to the different influences of his own experience, philosophy and literature in his methodology and thinking. The main results of the reading are that the first Icelandic management theories at the beginning of the twentieth century are aesthetic and also capture the opposing ideas that have influenced ideas about work in the last century.

Njord Sigurjonsson has a doctorate in cultural policy and cultural management and works as a professor at the University of Bifröst. Njörður has conducted research on management, cultural management and cultural policy, but among the published articles and book chapters from recent years are: "Vinnan, takturinn og timasvísindin (2024); "Orchestral Leadership" in Managing the Arts and Culture: Cultivating a Practice, published by Routledge; "The Business of Culture: Cultural Managers in Iceland and the first waves of the Pandemic" (2022); "The Political-Aesthetics of Participation: A Critical Reading of Iceland's National Cultural Policy" (2021) and "Cultural Policy, Participation and Immigration" (2020).

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The presentation will address Guðmundur Finnbogason's ideas about beauty, time and the aesthetics of work. Guðmundur published the first Icelandic book on aesthetics in 1918, Frá tsonarheimi, but in the years before he wrote extensively on Scientific Management as is noticeable in the publications Vit og strit from 1915 and Vinnan from 1917. The aim of the study is to contextualize Icelandic aesthetic management theory and better understand the concept of "time" in Guðmundur's theory.

Njord Sigurjonsson Ph.D. is Professor of Cultural Management at Bifröst University in Iceland. His main research areas are cultural management, cultural policy, sound culture and organizational aesthetics. Selected recent research papers and book chapters include "Orchestra Leadership" (2022), "The Effect of COVID-19 on Cultural Funding and Policy in Iceland" (2022), "The Political-Aesthetics of Participation" (2021), "The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Music Management” (2020) “Silence in Cultural Management” (2018), and “Experience Leadership: Lessons From John Dewey” (2018). 

At the exhibition you can see works of art and different encounters from nature that are intertwined with the history of man and his influence and reach far beyond the earth's atmosphere.

Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir (1985), graduated with a BA in art from the Iceland Academy of the Arts (2009) and an MA in art from the Glasgow School of Art (2013). In her work, she examines different objects and phenomena that are intertwined with our understanding and relationship with nature in times of great awareness. Þorgerður is one of the participants in the research project Relics of Nature and recently published the book Esseyja / Island Fiction in connection with his project about Surtsey.

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The exhibition Future Fragments is based on Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir's artistic research project, where she looks into phenomena related to the Anthropocene as well as what we consider to be cultural and natural heritage.

The exhibition combines new artworks created in relation to objects from the collections of the National Museum of Iceland. These objects are unearthed objects from the contemporary past, something that Þorgerður categorizes as núminjar (e. present-heritage or now-remains). The exhibition also includes artworks from her research project in relation to the island of Surtsey, which was recently published in the book Esseyja / Island Fiction.

Moreover, the exhibition plants the seeds of a Future Collection, an Archive of Anthropogenic Artefacts, an assemblage of phenomena, objects and symbols related to the Anthropocene. They appear to us through the conglomeration of culture, nature and minerals, challenging conventional ideas of what is culture and what is nature. In addition, they offer a perspective on how the future of our heritage could appear.

Sigríður Þorgeirsdóttir is a professor of philosophy at the University of Helsinki. She is a lead researcher on an international research and training project in physical critical thinking and understanding. See recent book: Practicing Embodied Thinking in Research and Learning, co-ed. D. Schoeller and G. Walkerden, Routledge 2024.

Katrín Ólína Pétursdóttir is an industrial designer and dean of the Department of Design at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Her projects span the interdisciplinary field of design from product design, interior design, illustration and design research.

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Minisophy: A practical workshop in writing a minisophical text with the methods of embodied, critical, creative thinking and with the help of AI language processing tools. Participants work on an idea, develop it with the methods of embodied, critical thinking and write it with the help of a chat bot.

Sigridur Thorgeirsdottir, professor of philosophy at the University of Iceland. Principal investigator www.trainingect. com

Katrín Ólína Pétursdóttir is an Icelandic industrial designer with an academic and international career. Her interdisciplinary approach spans product design, interior design and graphic art and research.
Ólína's academic roles include leading the Product Design program at Iceland University of the Arts (1999-2004) and heading its Design Department since 2021.

The students have worked that week to practice visual presentation of their text and have the opportunity to have a conversation with each other and the recipients.

MA students in stage colors at the Iceland Academy of the Arts and participants in the project:

Eygló Höskuldsdóttir Viborg, Bergdís Júlía Jóhannsdóttir, Malgorzata Maria Trajkowska, Esperanza Y. Palacios Figueroa, Aðalheiður Sigursveinsdóttir Najattaajaraq Joelsen, Henrik Koppen 

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 There will be a joint exhibition by master's students at the Iceland University of the Arts, where they have worked with a graphic designer to present their artistic research from written text to a performative/visual space in a dialogue with the viewer. The dialogue between the students and the viewer is an important factor and the practice to make their research and thinking process more visible.