UNDERNEATH

19.09.2020 - 14.03.2021
10-17 Tue-Sun

Free entry

UNDERNEATH is the main exhibition at The Nordic House in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2020.

Subtly lurking, the common denominator for the themes and artistic practices presented in the exhibition is the pursuit of subversive avenues for exploring gender and sexuality in a variety of forms. The UNDERNEATH exhibition is an invitation to navigate the underbelly of the normative and what lies under the surface of an egalitarian societal utopia – as seen through the prism of Nordic artists.

UNDERNEATH presents the artistic modi operandi of highly contrasting artists, who are drawn into a dialectical constellation, yet remaining compartmentalized within the space, as in a labyrinth composed of several individual worlds. Reflecting a reality where everything is connected yet detached. Through the artist’s critical engagement with practices of self-exploration, truth-seeking, and rethinking of stereotypical ideals; this odyssey around the undercurrents and transgressions of the normative unfolds. But more than anything, UNDERNEATH seeks to open up a challenging heterotopian space within The Nordic House, where alternative truths and realities coexist.

To further investigate the exhibition’s plethora of layers and thematic strains, a series of artist encounters, live performances, film screenings, and analytical talks will supplement the exhibition over its course. Due to the restrictions thrust upon society by Covid-19, all parallel events will use digital format until further notice.

Artists
Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg (SE) 
Lene Berg (NO)
Paarma Brandt (GL)
Adam Christensen (DK)
Gabríela Friðriksdóttir (IS)
Emma Helle & Helena Sinervo (FI)
Maria Pasenau (NO)

Arnbjörg María Danielsen, curator
Sofie Ringstad Bakke, assistant curator