Sequences is the artist-run biennial in Reykjavik, the XI edition will be opening on October 13 with a 10 days festival of performances, concerts, exhibitions and more. For the first time it will be curated by Estonian curators, with an emphasis on involving artists from the Baltic region.
On September 8 we are inviting you to a peek-a-boo event in HIAP, Suomenlinna as we have started our journey from Tallinn to Reykjavik and would like to stop on our way to gather for an evening of performances, food and music.
Event schedule
18:40 Ferry to Suomenlinna (As the performance starts right after ferry arrives, we suggest taking this particular ferry)
19:00 Brák Jónsdóttir & Dúfa Sævarsdóttir “Pleasure Isle”
19:45 Welcome words from Sequences XI curators. Food and drinks are served*
20:30 Live performance and DJ set by ang3l_sp1der (Miša Skalskis) and Cucina Povera (Maria Rossi)
*The food will be prepared by Jakub Bobrowski from HIAP and will be vegan and gluten free
About the artists and performances
Brák Jónsdóttir & Dúfa Sævarsdóttir
“Welcome to the Pleasure Isle, where the act of flirting feels like oxygen and the atmosphere is filled with extreme, exhilarating joy. It’s the kind of joy you find in the hearts of soul sisters, surrounding the deep friendship between women. This kind of cherished connection has been celebrated through the centuries, and still is, world wide.”
Artist duo Brák and Dúfa invite you to step onto the Pleasure Isle and become part of their narrative, perhaps you will get a sense of rising or expanding, even to the point of light-headedness. The creative endeavors of the duo delve intricately into the multifaceted interplay of love and its connections, whether with individuals or the natural world. Their chosen mediums encompass a diverse range, incorporating videos that unfold like visual poetry, installations that redefine spaces, and participatory acts that engage audiences. With a shared vision, the duo strives to conjure profound intimacy within their creations, encapsulating the very essence of life’s unadorned delights. The act of observing birds taking flight, the comfort of crisp and fragrant linen, the contemplative allure of reflective ponds – these seemingly ordinary moments are elevated through their lens.
Brák Jónsdóttir (1996) earned her BA degree in visual art from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2021. Her work explores themes from prehistory to imagined futures, narrating fictional events that breathe life into extinct creatures and otherworldly beings. Brák’s works evoke tenderness, humour, and diverse worlds, where sensuous hypotheses emerge from factual extrapolations. Crafting enigmatic narratives through bizarre ecosystems, she ignites existential questions, inviting audiences to ponder the mysteries of life’s ways.
Maríanna Eva Dúfa Sævarsdóttir, or Dúfa (1992) received her BA degree in visual art from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2022. Her art delves into the intricate interplay of love and connection, whether with people or the environment. Through video works, installations, and participatory performances, Dúfa strives to evoke the profound intimacy found in life’s simple joys, like cherished relationships or the sensations of sunlight and freshly cut grass. Her creations invite viewers to step into these moments and become part of her narrative – weaving the delicate threads of the human experience into her work.
About the curators
The curatorial collective is formed by four Estonian based curators and writers: Marika Agu, Maria Arusoo, Kaarin Kivirähk and Sten Ojavee who have worked together since 2017 at the CCA. More clearly, they defined their platform in a collectively curated exhibition A-tishoo, A-tishoo, We All Fall Down (2019) which exhibited in EKKM, the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia. Other than this, they have curated and organized lecture series, seminars, article series, public art projects and video events. As curators they have different backgrounds, spanning artistic practice, social theory, philosophy, art history and semiotics. They have teamed up to bring together different experiences and ways of thinking, to save resources and reduce overproduction. They believe that working together rather than as individuals allows us to create more sustainable models of working.
About Sequences
Sequences is a non-profit artist run biennial in Reykjavík. The aim of the festival is to produce and present progressive visual art. Founding members of Sequences are artist run Kling & Bang (est. 2003), the Living Art Museum (est. 1978) and the Icelandic Art Centre, that together with artists active in the local art scene, run the festival.
Read more about Sequences XI and the artist list: https://cca.ee/en/news/sequences-biennial-announces-full-artist-list-for-11th-edition-cant-see
The event is supported by Nordic Culture Point