Screening of As If We Existed/Eins og við værum 

& North by New York Artist & Curator Talk

Monday, April 25, 7 pm
Free admission

Directed by Ragnheiður Gestsdóttir (Iceland, 2010). An artist and his model find themselves in a beautiful, but sinking city. In a studio by the water they are compelled to paint one portrait a day. As the paintings pile up, the city turns into a cold and unfriendly place. The two men are lonely and isolated as they deal with an existence of endless repetition without an end in sight. An existence that eventually drives one of them mad.

As If We Existed is an experimental documentary on Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson and his piece The End at the 53rd International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2009. Kjartansson did a 6-month long performance where he portrayed the artist working in his studio, painting one portrait a day of a beautiful young male model. As if We Existed tells their story. 30 min.

Following the screening, North by New York: New Nordic Art curator Francesca Pietropaolo will engage in conversation with artist Saana Wang and director Ragnheiður Gestsdóttir.

A reception with an improvised electronic set over selected scenes of the film provided by film's original score composer, Curver Thoroddsen (Ghostigital) with experimental improv veterans Mike Mare (Destructo Swarmbots, MA5T3RBA55) and Ari Bragi Kárason (trumpet virtuoso from Iceland) will follow the program.

North by New York: New Nordic Art 

Through August 19, 2011
3rd Floor Galleries, Tuesday-Saturday, 12-6 pm
Free admission

North by New York: New Nordic Art is a condensed overview of recent art from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Curated by Robert Storr and Francesca Pietropaolo, the works - including painting, sculpture, photography, and video installations - were chosen to draw attention to the dynamism and diversity of contemporary Nordic artists, including Marte Aas, Karin Mamma Andersson, Libia Castro and Ólafur Ólafsson, Cecilia Edefalk, Gardar Eide Einarsson, Sara-Vide Ericson, Henrik Lund Jørgensen, Per Kirkeby, Ragnar Kjartansson, Tal R, Petri Sirviö featuring Mieskuoro Huutajat (Screaming Men's Choir), Marja Viitahuhta, Gunnel Wåhlstrand, and Saana Wang.

 

The exhibition is the second in a series of centennial exhibitions presented by The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF). Incorporated in 1911, the ASF is celebrating its centennial year throughout 2011 with an extensive series of events at its headquarters Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America.     

Organized by The American-Scandinavian Foundation, North by New York: New Nordic Art was made possible by support from William B. and Inger Gundersen Ginsberg; the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation; the ASF Centennial Fund; the Bonnier Family Fund for Contemporary Art; the Robert and Joyce Menschel Family Foundation; the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in New York; the Consulate General of Finland, New York; and the Consulate General of Sweden, New York.

100 YEARS OF THE AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION & 10 YEARS OF SCANDINAVIA HOUSE

Fall 2010 inaugurated a year-long celebration of two important milestones: the 10th anniversary of Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America, and the 100th anniversary of The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF), the owner and operator of Scandinavia House.

Founded in 1910 and incorporated in New York State in 2011, the ASF serves as the leading educational and cultural link between the U.S. and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. It is a publicly-supported, non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and cultural understanding and has an extensive program of fellowships, grants, intern/trainee placement, publishing, membership offerings, and cultural activities.

Scandinavia House - home to The American-Scandinavian Foundation - offers a wide range of programs presenting contemporary Nordic culture that encompasses the visual arts, music, and literature along with public policy, business, finance, and technology. These programs include art, design, and historical exhibitions as well as films, concerts, readings, lectures, symposia, language courses, and children's programming that illustrate and illuminate the modern-day vitality of the Nordic countries.

  

Scandinavia House: 

The Nordic Center in America

58 Park Avenue @ 38th Street

New York, NY 10016

www.scandinaviahouse.org
    

# # #