In my practice I create installations using drawings and sculptural objects made by using textile materials in a repetitive abstract way. In the constellation of the various objects and drawings, an emotional narrative forms itself. It speaks of the tension between structure and freedom, intention and accident, and of time and process. Although I through the years have made use of different materials and mediums, the work always maintains its core firmly in a response to material and time, whether it is conceptually or intuitively, and aims to provoke an emotional reaction.
I am interested in ideas concerning personal identity, how parts of every human being are hidden from view, or only revealed from one particular angle. In most of my pieces there is an emphasis on process and letting the material explorations (and failures) be a part of the finished piece, whilst also negotiating a wish to be in full control, and it is within this tension that I hope to reveal something deeply human.
colour photos by Brian Sweeney
Hrafnhildur Halldórsdóttir is an artist, dj and graphic designer.
CV HRAFNHILDUR HALLDÓRSDÓTTIR
Born 1973, Reykjavík, Iceland
Based in Glasgow, Scotland and Copenhagen, Denmark
hrafnhildur.halldorsdottir (at) gmail (dot) com
EDUCATION:
2005-2007
Master of Fine Art (MFA), Glasgow School of Art
1998-2001
BA (Hons) Fine Art, Glasgow School of Art (1st class)
1997-1998
Fine Art Photography course/full-time, K.U.B.A., Copenhagen, Denmark
1996
Fine Art course/full-time, Kunsthøjskolen, Holbæk, Denmark
1989-1992
Hamrahlid College, Reykjavík, Iceland
SOLO SHOWS AND COLLABORATIONS:
2023
KOMBINATION, installation in Galleri 1.4m3, Copenhagen
2020
ALKYMI, two-person show with Rina Charlott Lindgren, Buskerud Art Centre, Norway
2019
POLYPHONY, solo show, Officinet, Copenhagen
2016
WITH YOU – WITHOUT YOU, Collaborative show with Helen Clara Hemsley, Glasgow Project Room
2015
THE POSTER ARCHIVE The Lighthouse, Glasgow
2014
NATURAL HISTORY Intermedia, CCA, Glasgow
2013
Riff (part of Ten Days of Summer) Queens Park Railway Club
2012
I put a spell on you, Infernoesque project space, Berlin (solo)
2011
Cursed Rhythm, The Briggait, Glasgow (solo)
2010
FEVER, Glasgow Project Room, Glasgow (solo)
2008
‘cos I love and I live primitive’, Galleri Box, Gothenburg, Sweden (solo)
2007
Hljódleikur (Soundgame), Skaftfell Cultural Centre (Vesturveggurinn), Seydisfjördur, Iceland
2006
Zig-Zag Wanderer, Overgaden Institute for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen
2004
Look out for my Love, it’s in your neighbourhood, Intermedia, Glasgow
2003
Look out for my Love, it’s in your neighbourhood, Gallerí Hlemmur, Reykjavík, Iceland
2002
No, it’s not a case of being lonely we have here, I’ve been working on this palmtree for eighty-seven years, NIFCA project space, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland. Part of the Network North Introductions series.
I’ll think if you do the same part two, collaboration with Helen Hemsley, Glasgow Project Room (collaboration)
1999
Decisions Travel, with Signe Høirup Wille-Jørgensen, Personal Art Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark. (collaboration)
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS:
2023
Now, beyond, after, 3 person show with Rebecca Krasnik and Sara Lubich. Curated by Sara Lubich. c4 projects, Copenhagen
2020
‘METALLOphone 5: Museum’, Contemporary Jewellery Biennial, Vilnius, Lithuania (October 2020)
BEIGE, Mette Saabye Gallery
2018
Nordic Hands, Symposium, Godsbanen, Århus, organised by HINT Project
Artists who do Music/Musicians who do Art, curated by Ross Sinclair, Queens Park Railway Club, Glasgow
2017
Ritualer for fællesskaber, Roskilde Festival, Klub Rå, costumes for series of performances by Jomi Massage
Record Store at Seventeen/Aberdeen, curated by Obstacle Soup.
CONNECTED (part 3), The Reid Building, Glasgow School of Art
CONNECTED (part 2), The Friday Gallery, Munich
CONNECTED, (part 1), The Most Secret Gallery, Copenhagen
2015
Bowled Over, Willowbank Bowling Club, Glasgow, part of Glasgow Open House Art Festival 2015
2014
HALLelujah 3, 212 West Princes St, Glasgow, part of Glasgow Open House Art Festival
‘I’ve never seen figurative electricity’, Ásmundarsafn (part of Reykjavík Art Museum), Reykjavík, Iceland
2013
Seven Inch, Monorail, Glasgow
Three Points of Contact final event, The Exchange, Penzance
2012
BLATT/BLAD 60, magazine curated by Jóna Hlíf Halldórsdóttir and Hlynur Hallson
Record Store, Monorail, Glasgow
2011
Platform P at The Duke, The Duke of Cornwall Hotel, Plymouth
2010
HALLelujah 2, 212 West Princes St, Glasgow
Kiss of Life, Finn Collective at Glue Factory, part of Glasgow International, Glasgow
2009
The Raw and The Cooked (two person show with Baldvin Ringsted), Intermedia, Glasgow
Die Die Die (members show), Transmission, Glasgow
2008
Laplandscape, Atrium Gallery, Glasgow School of Art
You can’t hide your love forever, Galerie LHK, Paris
The State, A. Vermin at The State Bar, (part of Glasgow International 2008), Glasgow
2007
Further More, Artnews Projects and Galerie Metro, Berlin
And The He Likes The Me (members show), Transmission, Glasgow
MFA Degree Show, Tramway, Glasgow
Today your Love Tomorrow the World, Lowsalt, Glasgow
Six artists from Glasgow, Galleri Egelund, Copenhagen
2006
Cashbox, Galleri BOX, Gothenburg, Sweden
Úti, Galleri+, Akureyri, Iceland
Interim Show, Mackintosh and Newbery Galleries, Glasgow School of Art
Kunstvlaai.6, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam
Glasgow Art Fair, with Lapland
2005
Multiplus, Waygood Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Kalender 2005 (with Jim Colquhoun and Una Hrafnhildardóttir Colquhoun), BellmanLarssonLindströmNord, Gothenburg
Re-Escape (with Transmission Gallery), Hamburg
Celebrating Confusion (members show)Transmission, Glasgow
Smile, Glasgow Art Fair/EXTENSION with LAPLAND
The Spring Animal Show /where the buffalo roam, RCCA@Park Circus, Glasgow
Post Notes, Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis
Post Notes, ICA, London
2004
Winter Solace, CCA bookshop, Glasgow
Kalender, BellmanLarssonLindströmNord, Gothenburg, Sweden
Instal.04, the Arches, Glasgow
Members Show, Transmission, Glasgow.
Stillives Glasgow Art Fair/EXTENSION with LAPLAND
Recent Work by Hrafnhildur Halldórsdóttir and Neill Sheasby, Saltburn Artists Projects
2003
X-Mas 2003, Artnode Denmark, www.artnode.org
Hubbub, Globe Gallery, Newcastle
Post-it, floating ip, Manchester
women men children, (members show) Transmission, Glasgow
Knittingclub Fantasies, “say, would you fancy a game of tennis”-project space, Copenhagen
Multiples x 7, Project, Dublin
Greyscale/CMYK, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
2002
Greyscale/CMYK, Tramway, Glasgow
Screening of video (Single/2000) on viva/DR2 (Danish Broadcasting Corporation/channel 2), February 2002.
Peace, Love and Understanding, The Photographic Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark, with Helen Hemsley.
2001
plot, New Victoria Gardens, Pollokshields, Glasgow, with Lapland
Degree Show 2001, Glasgow School of Art
2000
Sum of Parts, artist’s books and multiples, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh.
Awards:
Værkproduktion og udstillinger, Statens Kunstfond, 2023
Regionale Prosjektmidler for visuell kunst (with Rina C. Lindgren), 2019
Glasgow Life Visual Art Award, 2018
Hope Scott Trust bursary, 2018
Open Project Funding, Creative Scotland 2018
Nomination for Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award, 2016
Artist’s Bursary, Creative Scotland, 2013
Creative Development Grant, Scottish Arts Council, 2010
Creative Development Grant, Scottish Arts Council, 2008
Glasgow City Council Visual Arts Grant, 2008
Minningarsjódur Margrétar Björgólfsdóttur (the MB Memorial Fund) 2007
Beck’s Futures Student Scholarship 2006-07 (one of three awarded to postgraduate students in U.K)
The British Council Travel Grant, 2005
The Glasgow and West of Scotland Scholarship 2005-2007
Creative Development Grant, Scottish Arts Council, 2004
Glasgow City Council Visual Arts Grant, 2004
Creative Development Grant, Scottish Arts Council, 2003.
The British Council Travel Grant, 2003.
Glasgow City Council Visual Arts Grant, 2002.
Extended Essay distinction, dept. of Historical and Critical Studies, Glasgow School of Art, 2001
Collections:
‘cos I love and I live primitive’ part II (The Weave of Us), Private collection, 2008
Residencies:
Kunstkvarteret Lofoten AIR, Norway, 2023
Cove Park, Funded Visual Arts Residency, Scotland, September 2019
Obvia Cultural Association Residency, Setúbal, Portugal, February 2018
Norwegian Textile Artists Residency at Søndre Green, August 2016
NKD Dale (Nordic Artists Centre, Dale, Norway), two month residency march-april 2015
Make Works Tour Residency, September, 2013 www.makeworks.co.uk
Three Points of Contact, Collaborative residency, Glasgow School of Art, Macintosh Museum, December 2012.
Skaftfell Art Center Residency, Seydisfjördur, Iceland, August 2010 (2 weeks)
Network North/NIFCA (Nordic Institute for Contemporary Art) residency, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland, April-May 2002
Publications and presentations:
Now, beyond, after - publication accompanying show in c4 projects, 2023 with Sara Lubich and Rebecca Krasnik
Artist talk with Grier Edmundson at Transmission, june 2008
Review of ÚTI, Gallerí +, Akureyri, Ragna Sigurdardóttir, Morgunbladid, 12/09/06
‘Myndlistarmadur med brennandi áhuga á Tónlist’, Inga Rún Sigurdardóttir, Tímarit Morgunbladsins, 13/08/06 (Feature/Interview in The Sunday magazine of the icelandic newspaper Morgunbladid).
‘All Sewn Up’, IdeasFactory feature, Sharon McHendry, http://scotland.ideasfactory.com/art_design/features/feature53.htm
‘Hver óhreinkar hendur sínar?’, Ragna Sigurdardóttir, Morgunbladid, July 19th 2003 (Review of show in Galleri Hlemmur, July 2003)
Moving Dust, Glasgow 2003, editors: R J Warwick and K Hilton
Art Monthly, October 2002, Review of Greyscale/CMYK by Craig Richardson
Greyscale/CMYK catalogue, published by NIFCA, 2002. Text on HH by Sanne Kofod Olsen.
Decisions Travel, limited edition cd, with Signe Høirup Wille-Jørgensen.
Art & Design commissions
Illustrations for Whiskeria Magazine 2018-present
CDs & LPs:
Speaker Bite Me / Future Plans, LP and CD, PONY REC, 2018
Speaker Bite Me / If love is missing it must be imposed (re-release), LP, PONY REC, 2015
Jomi Massage / Primitives, LP, The Being Music, 2013
The Felt Tips, Symbolic Violence, LP, FireStation Records, 2013
Dråbers Logik, Jomi Massage & Anne-Lise Marstrand Jørgensen, LP & CD, Geiger, 2011 & 2013
Jacob Yates & The Pearly Gate Lock Pickers / LUCK, CD & LP RE:PEATER RECORDS, 2011
She’s Hit / Pleasure, CD & LP, RE:PEATER RECORDS, 2011
Standard 7" sleeve for RE:PEATER RECORDS, 2010
Our Broken Garden / Golden Sea, CD/Vinyl, Bella Union (UK), Tigerspring (DK), 2010
The Zephyrs / Fool of Regrets, CD, 2010
The Felt Tips / Bought and Sold, 3” CD-single, 2008
Our Broken Garden / When Your Blackening Shows, CD, Bella Union, 2008
Speaker Bite Me / Live Recordings 2001-2002, download album, 2008
The Felt Tips / Lifeskills, 7” single, Cloudberry, 2008
Larsen & Furious Jane / Zen Sucker CD, LP & digital download, Morningside Records and Playground, 2008
Jomi Massage / From where no one belongs, I will sing…2007 & 2005, 3 x LP and download, Morningside Records, 2008
Under Byen and The Danish Radio Sinfonietta / Siamesisk, CD & LP, Morningside Records, DVP and Under Byen, 2008
Julie Maria / På Kanten af Virkeligheden, CD, Playground, 2007
Speaker Bite Me / Action Painting, CD, Morningside Records and Playground, 2007
Speaker Bite Me / Action Painting, LP, DVP, 2007
Bela/Hole and Corner, CD, Say Dirty Records, 2006
Under Byen / Samme Stof som Stof, CD, Morningside Records and Playground, 2006
Under Byen/Samme Stof som Stof, LP, DVP, 2006
Our Lunar Activities: She Cried/Diamond, 7” single, Hatch Records, 2006
Jomi Massage / From where no one belongs, I will sing…CD, Morningside Records and Playground 2005
JOMI MASSAGE / ALOUD CD, Morningside Records (DK), teléscopic (France), Loveless Records (Japan) and Bad Taste Records (Russia), 2004
JOMI MASSAGE / ALOUD 10” vinyl, DVP, 2004
jomi massage/visible songs, 7” EP and jomi massage/more visible songs, 7” EP Helicopter records, 2002
Promotional design (posters and logos):
The Being Music, artistic umbrella and label, Copenhagen, promotional Limited Edition poster.
In-house Graphic designerincl. Posters, promo and website design for Nice’n’Sleazy, from 11/2010 – 09/2012
T-Shirt and tote-bag design for Nice’n’Sleazy, 2009
Logo for Nordic Music Week, Stavanger, Norway, November 2008 (www.nordicmusicweek.com)
Poster design for The Hot Club since 08/2007 (in collaboration with Andy Wake)
Logo and promotional design for Nice’n Sleazy/Live music venue, bar and restaurant, Glasgow, 2007
Poster and merchandise design for Speaker Bite Me for tours in 2006.
Publications:
Design of The State / A Vermin publication for Glasgow International 2008
Variant, front cover, spring 2008.
Layout design for Under Byen/Mesterværket var en bog lavet af sne 23 gange 27centimeter, Book, 2006
Limited Edition catalogue and songbook for Jomi Massage / Visible Songs, Teater Styhr og Kjær, Copenhagen, September 2000