The exhibition Internal Space is inspired by the unique building Hnitbjörg, both inside and out. Einar
Jónsson, sculptor, created cohesive spaces in his museum that open up to the viewer upon
entering. The works are in the foreground, but upon closer inspection, one can discern the
sculptor’s deliberate craftsmanship in the architecture. The pedestals and the interior of the
building are not exempt; on the highest ones, the works become elevated and untouchable. The
design of the original pedestals, which still stand, bears witness to Einar’s thought regarding the
overall appearance of the museum, and they have multifaceted and practical roles. Inside the
original pedestals are spaces that Einar used for preservation and storage; there one can find a
hidden world of unfinished works, sketches, tools, and fragments. This hidden aspect invokes
interest and questions, bearing witness to what could have been.

Sigurður Guðjónsson creates his own spaces here and opens worlds that are usually hidden by
magnifying phenomena and thus showing details that the human eye cannot otherwise perceive.
He is accustomed to dealing with unique spaces in his creation, transforming and recreating them
with sound and image. In the unique world of Hnitbjörg, he takes his position with what is already
there through a multi-voiced installation that engages in dialogue with the space, the pedestals,
and the building. Glass is Sigurður’s material this time; he magnifies broken glass and, with light,
movement, and sound, creates an indeterminate visual world that each person can interpret in
their own way. There is harmony in the work, but at the same time, each unit has its unique voice.
This slow transformation process is strongly emphasized in the inner spaces, where reflection and
sound create a holistic experience. Einar Jónsson’s visual world, on the other hand, is characterized
by figurative motifs, where the indeterminate is the narrative of each work. The works of both artists
require the viewer to dwell on them and consider what is inside; Hnitbjörg provides the shelter
needed for this to happen. Sigurður’s pedestals reflect Einar’s pedestals in a certain way, but they
are open and accessible to the viewer, while Einar Jónsson’s closed pedestals keep the interesting
items from his career.Sigurður Guðjónsson (1975) is best known for his time-based art, where the
focus is directed at the inner in an enlarged image. There he explores the material world, the
function of the mechanical, and presents it with sound, light, colors, and movement. His
magnificent creations have a mesmerizing and dreamlike enect on the viewer, who cannot help but
be drawn to the artist’s visual world.

Sigurður Guðjónsson is one of the country’s foremost video artists and continues to establish
himself with each project. Sigurður studied at Billedskolen in Copenhagen from 1998-1999, the
Iceland Academy of the Arts from 2000-2003, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 2004. He
represented Iceland at the Venice Biennale in 2022 and received the Icelandic Art Prize in 2018.

Sigurdur Trausti