Johanna Helga Thorkelsdottir

Visual artist, b. 1978.

Lives and works in Reykjavik, Iceland.

tel: + 354 848 4891

johannahelga@gmail.com

 

Johanna received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007 and her BA from The Iceland Academy of Arts in 2003. Her work has been exhibited at venues such as the Center for Visual Arts in Akureyri, ASÍ Art museum and The living Arts Museum.

Johanna works with installations, sculptures and photography, revolving around light and the juxtaposition between natural and synthetic nature and it´s effects on the viewer. The installations are site-specific and the architecture of the building plays a significant role in the outcome of the work.

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Jóhanna útskrifaðist með MFA-gráðu frá The School of the Art Institute of Chicago vorið 2007. Áður hafði hún lokið BA prófi frá Listaháskóla Íslands 2003. Jóhanna hefur ma sýnt í Sjónlistamiðstöðinni á Akureyri, Listasafni ASÍ og Nýlistasafninu.

Jóhanna hefur undanfarin ár fengist við ljós og náttúrutengdar innsetningar þar sem sýndar-náttúra er þungamiðja. Innsetningarnar taka jafnan mið af arkítektúr umhverfisins og leikið er með skynjun áhorfandans á rýmið.

 

CV

 

Education

2005-2007 MFA, Sculpture, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

2000-2003 BFA, Visual Arts, Iceland Academy of the Arts.

2002-2002 Exchange student, Royal University College of Fine Arts Stockholm.

1999-2000 First Year Program, Iceland Academy of the Arts.

Solo Exhibitions

2014 GLEAM/GLIT Gallery Þoka, Reykjavík.

2013 Kveikja. Ketilhúsi, Center for Visual Arts, Akureyri.

2012 Í dag er góður dagur og ég er í sólskinsskapi. Design March. SÍM space. Reykjavik.

2010 Hinterland. Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant. Reykjavik.

2009 Luminous Flux. ASÍ Art Museum. Reykjavík.

2006 Habitual Practice. Base Space, Chicago

Selected Group Exhibitions

2014

Skapandi greinar, Urta Islandica ehf. Akureyri Art Museum.

2013

Undir berum himni/Under the open sky. Listahátíð Reykjavíkur. Reykjavik Art Festival.

33/39. Epal, Hönnunarmars/Designmarch.

2012

Baltic bridges, International watercolor Biennial. Kaunas, Lithuania.

2010

Jólasýning. Kling og Bang gallery. Reykjavík.

2008

7 Festival de Performance de Cali. Collaboration. Cali, Columbia

Gallery Lost Horse, 17 June. Reykjavík. Iceland

Gallery/Project Space. LIMBO, Chicago, USA

2007

21 Cities at Once Performed, collaboration with Kolbrá Braga og Ryan Lieu,

MFA Graduate Exhibition. Gallery 2 and Project Space, Chicago.

Big Production. Gallery 40000, Chicago.

2006

Collaboration on site. Kiasma, Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki Finland.

2005

Evolutionary efficiency + the happiness function. G2/Project Space, Chicago, USA.

15. Skulpturenwoche, Gallerie am Leewasser. Brunnen, Switzerland.

KFL group, Bright Nights Cultural festival of Hafnafjordur, (co-curator).

2004

Grasroots#5. Living Arts Museum/Reykjavik Power Company. Reykjavik, Iceland.

vidLIT, Gallery+ . Akureyri, Iceland, (co-curator).

Afleidd/Afleit. Klink og Bank, Artist Space. Reykjavik, Iceland, (curator).

I kolli minum geymi eg gullid. Klink og Bank, Artist Space. Reykjavik, Iceland.

2003

BFA Degree Show. Reykjavik Art Museum; Reykjavik, Iceland.

Fall of Icarus. Gallery Saevars Karls. Reykjavik, Iceland.

2002

Skulpturenwoche. Gallery am Lewasser, Brunnen, Switzerland.

Painting after the fall of Painting. Gallery Saevars Karls. Reykjavik, Iceland.

Achievements and Awards

2014 Artist Salary, 3 months, Government of Iceland.

2014 Inspiration into the field of Nordic light art, Tartu Estonia

2013 Entrepreneur Fund Landsbankinn

2012 Átak til atvinnusköpunar, Nýsköpunarmiðstöð Íslands.

2009 Pálmi Jónsson Environmental protection Fund.

2008

Myndstef, project grant.

Muggur, The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists

Center for Icelandic Arts, spontaneous support..

2006-2007

MFA Fellowship award, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Minningarsjóður Margrétar Björgólfsdóttur for MFA thesis show at SAIC.

Tilnefning til the Joan Mitchell Foundation for Art.

Deans´ Grant Fund. School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA.

Second Year International Scholarship. School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA.

Spontaneous Grant. CIA Center for Icelandic Art.

Traveling Grant, Muggur. The Associaton of Icelandic Visual Artists (SÍM).

International workshop in Helsinki, Finland. Collaboration on Site. Curated by Prof. Mary Jane Jacob and Prof. Mika Hannula. I worked under the direction of Berlin based artist Matti Braun

2005

Performance for Jason Rhoades and Paul McCarthy on the opening of Dionysiac in the Centre Pompidu, Paris, France

Traveling Grant. Icelandic Ministry of Culture

2004

Speaker and organizer of a 2-day conference about the state of contemporary art in Iceland

Participated in the making of Sheep Plug for American artists; Paul McCarthy and Jason Rhoades, Kling og Bang Gallery

2002

Nordplus stipendium. Nordplus

Publications

03.12.2009 Morgunblaðið Daily Newspaper, Ljós í skammdeginu. Review – Ragna Sigurðardóttir.

24.09.2009 Morgunblaðið. Daily Newspaper. Dimmu í dagsljós breytt. Interview.

30.09.2004 Fréttablaðið. Newspaper. Grasrót í röngum garði. Review – Goddur.

25.09.2005 KFL Group, catalogue. Published by KFL Group.

2005 “KFL” Review by Ragna Sigurdardottir in Iceland Daily News Paper.

2004 Grassroots #5, catalogue. Published by The Living Art Museum

“Tilbrigi vid utlit” Review by Ragna Sigurdardottir in Iceland Daily News Paper.

“Ósynilegar I karlaheimi” Review by Jón B.K. Ransú in Iceland Daily News Paper.

“Faldir draugar og fyrirmyndadömur” Review by Jon B.K. Ransu in Iceland Daily News Paper.

2003 LHÍ degree show, catalogue. Published by the Iceland Academy of Art.

Work experience

2014 Digital Archivist, Reykjavík Art Museum

2013 Graphic Design, Fréttablaðið Newspaper

2009-2012 Graphic design. Eyja – independant graphic design studio.

2008-2009 Art teacher. Reykjavik School of Visual Art

2007-2008 Danól og Ölgerðin. Sales representative.

2006-2007 Graduate Assistant at the Ceramic, Performance and Sculpture Departmental Office, SAIC

2006 Teacher Assistant, First Year Program. Core Studio. SAIC.

2006 Teacher Assistant, Graphic Design. Early College Program, Summer Institute. SAIC.

2006 Program Assistant. Collaboration on Site, Helsinki. For Prof. Mary Jane Jacob. SAIC.

2003-2005 Assistant teacher. Austurbaejarskoli, public school, Reykjavik, Iceland.