How do you bring the energy of the Nordic region to Washington, DC? Bring the northern lights! At last month’s Phillips after 5, we worked with the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden to bring a Nordic vibe to our city. That included a light display outside of the museum’s entrance and inside the Music Room using the colors of the northern lights as inspiration. Auto Looming added to the experience with the ethereal sounds of the theremin and electro-acoustic jazz.
Ísafjörður Series (2009) by Katrín Sigurdardóttir on display in Gallery 115. Photo: Eliza French
The Phillips Collection hosted a Nordic Lights themed Phillips after 5 in February to celebrate our Nordic Initiative, a partnership with the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Along with film, music, and food from the Nordic region, the event featured lamps created by artists and designers from each of the five Nordic countries. The lamps from Iceland were designed by Katrín Sigurđardóttir, an artist who will speak about her work at The Phillips Collection on March 27, 2014 as part our Conversations with Artists series.
Sigurđardóttir, best known for her sculpture and installation pieces, questions our perceptions of space and time in her work. The lamps she designed are works of functional art titled Ísafjörður Series (2009), after Ísafjörður (“ice fjord” in English), an isolated town in northwest Iceland with a population around 2,600. Sigurđardóttir photographed a series of streetscapes or “village-scapes” of the town and transferred those images to the lasercut birch veneer that wraps around the shades of these lamps. When illuminated, the lamps project photographic images laser cut into birch veneer onto their white vellum outer shades.
Ísafjörður was a captivating subject for the artist because of the unique conditions there. The town is located among steep mountains and, due to its location, the town only sees sunlight for a few hours in the winter. In the summer, the sun never truly sets. With this series of lamps, the artist sought to capture the distinctive sense of time, light, and space experienced in Ísafjörður.
Eliza French, Manager of Center Initiatives
To reserve tickets for Katrín Sigurđardóttir’s upcoming artist talk at the Phillips, visit the event page on our site.
It was with great pleasure yesterday that many of us attended a brown bag lunch talk from guest curator Cornelia Homburg who previewed her upcoming exhibition at the Phillips opening September 27th, 2014. Images, such as those below, quickly transported us from the unwelcome snow of DC to warm, sunny southern France.
(Left) Henri-Edmond Cross, Plage de la Vignasse, les Iles d’Or, 1891-1892, huile sur toile. 65,5 x 92,2 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / David Fogel (Right) Paul Signac, Setting Sun. Sardine Fishing. Adagio. Opus 221 from the series The Sea, The Boats, Concarneau, 1891. Oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 31 7/8″ (65 x 81 cm). Mrs. John Hay Whitney Bequest. 585.1998 © 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.
