Ragnar Kjartansson

Reykjavik, Iceland, 1976 -

BiographyRagnar Kjartansson
1
RAGNAR KJARTANSSON
BORN
1976, Reykjavík, Iceland
Lives and works in Reykjavík.
Ragnar Kjartansson has been experimenting with elements of visual art, music, and theater and
considers himself mainly a performance artist. His pieces are characterized by the play between
contradictory feelings- sorrow and happiness, horror and beauty, drama and humor.
EDUCATION
2000 The Royal Academy, Stockholm, Sweden
1997-2001 The Icelandic Academy of the Arts, painting department, Reykjavík, Iceland
AWARDS
2008
Nominated for the Icelandic Art Awards; Sjónlist
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009
Iceland’s representative at Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
2008
2nd Turin Triennal, Turin, Italy
Manifesta 8, Rovereto, Italy
2007
Repeat Performances: Roni Horn and Ragnar Kjartansson, CCS BARD, New York, USA
Folksong, 508 West 25th Street, New York, USA
God, The Living Art Museum, Iceland
Guilt Trip, i8 Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland
Hot shame the Quest of Shelley´s Heart, Galleria Crespi, Italy
2006
"Sorrow conquers happiness", Galerie Adler, Frankfurt, Germany
2005
The Great Unrest, Dagsbrún, Reykjavík Art Festival, Eyjafjoll, Iceland
2004
“Confidential” (Collaboration show with Magnús Sigurearson), Asmundarsalur, Reykjavík Art Festival,
Iceland
“Monument of Love”, Gallery GUK, Iceland, Denmark, Germany
Ragnar Kjartansson
2
“Oh my god”, Safn, Reykjavík, Iceland
2003
"Colonialization", Galleri Kling & Bang, Iceland
2001
“Hurt the one you love”, i8, Reykjavík, Iceland
2000
Video installation with Gunnhildur Hauksdottir, Gallerí Nema Hvad, Reykjavík, Iceland
“Konstar och jag vil knulla”, Gallerí 1319 A, Stockholm, Sweden
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2008
“Pleinairism,” i8 Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland
“It’s Not Your Fault, Art from Iceland” Luhring Augustine Gallery, New York, U.S.A.
“Iceland on the edge” Reykjavík Art Festival, Reykjavík art museum, Iceland
“Iceland on the edge” artfestival at Bozar in Brussel, Belgium
2007
Moleskine Exhibition, ADC Gallery, USA
2006
Momentum, Moss, Norway
Pakkhús Postulanna, Listasafn Reykjavíkur, Iceland
2005
Tívolí, Listasafn Arnesinga, Hveragerdi, Iceland
2004
Where do we go from here? Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York, U.S.
Etoiles Polares Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium
Winter Mass, The Nordic house, Reykjavík
Aldrei, Niem Never, Gallery+, Akureyri, Iceland.
“Momentum 2004”, Moss, Norway
“Berlin North” (Collaboration with the Icelandic Love Corporation), Hamburger Bahnhoff, Berlin, Germany.
2003
“Behhind the eyes”, Bergern Kunsthall, Bergen, Norway
“Iceland in Denmark”, Gallery Stalke, Copenhagen, Denmark
2002
“The Times are Changing”, Studio Alaska, Reykjavík
“The Tiger and the Polar Bear”, Gallery 21, Malmö, Sweden.
“Grassroot” The Living Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland
2001
“Polifóní”, The Living Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland
HAPPENINGS AND PERFORMANCES
2004
“The Theater of Artists”, Klink and Bank, Reykjavík, Iceland
2003
Ragnar Kjartansson
3
“Four variations on sorrow”, Performance with Egill S., Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland
“Operatione Pathetica”, performance with Gabriella Fridriksdóttir. Circuit Barcelona, Spain
2002
“Modern Music”, CD project with Gabrialla Frieriksdóttir, Living Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland
"Santa Claus" performance with Asmundur Asmundsson. Living Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland
"The Artist on the corner" performance. Reykjavík Art Festival, Reykjavík, Iceland
"And Björk of course" a play by Thorvaldur Thorsteinsson.Theater and performances. Reykjavík City
Theater, Iceland
1999-2002
Trubadour Rassi Prump, concerts a.o.: Reykjavík, Ísafjöreur, Búeir
and Seydisfjördur, Iceland
MUSIC
2002
Trabant, music for a ballet "Eva 3", Ekka Dance Theater
Trabant, superman cd single, Thulemusik, TMT
2001
Trabant, Enter Space Bar, cd single, Thulemusik, TMT
The Funerals, Pathetic me, Thulemusik, TMT
Trabant, Moment of truth, Thulemusik, TMT
Concerts with music bands Funerals and Trabant
2000
Kanada, Kanada, Thulemusik, TMT
1996
Concerts with Kanada
Music in “Sirkús Skara Skrípo” , Loftkastalinn, Reykjavík, Iceland
1995
Teenage band Kósy, Kósy Jól, Kisi-hljómplötur
1994-1996
Concerts with teenage band Kósy
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2009
Byles, Jeff. “Ragnar Kjartansson: What do you do with a drunken painter?” Modern Painters, May 2009,
cover, pp. 48-53.
Cullinan, Nicholas, “2nd Turin Triennial,” ARTFORUM, March 2009, p. 178.
“Iceland Selects Artist for Venice Biennale,” Artinfo.com, March 19, 2009.
Kennedy, Randy. “Over and Over: Biennale Art That Never Stops,” The New York Times, June 4, 2009:
C1, C7.
“Kjartansson to Represent Iceland at the Venice Biennale,” Artforum.com, March 19, 2009.
Kjartansson, Ragnar. The End. Osfildern: Hatje Cantz Verlag.
Rechsteiner, Karin. “Island Hopping,” KOPF AN!, 2/4, 2009, pp. 26-27.
Tifent?le, Alise. “The Joyful Danse Macabre of Ragnar Kjartansson,” Studija, April/May 2009, pp. 54-59.
Wei, Lilly. “Ragnar Kjartansson: The Beginning of ‘The End’,” Art in America, June/July 2009, p. 122-124.
2008
Ragnar Kjartansson
4
Corbetto, Caroline.”Everyone is decadent these days,” Mousse, Issue 15, October/November 2008, pp.
32-35.
Lentini, Lara Kristin. “It’s Not Your Fault: Art from Iceland,” Art Papers, November/December 2008, pp.
68-69.
McLean-Ferris, Laura. “Turin Triennial,” artreview.com, November 12, 2008.
Wei, Lilly. “Report from Reykjavik: Experiment Iceland,” Art in America, October 2008, No. 9, p. 72.
2007
Markús Thór Andrésson, The Paradox of Ragnar Kjartansson, Reykjavik: i8 Gallery, March 2007.
2006
“Art Review. Reykjavik,” Art Review, June 2006, p. 54.
Ævarsdóttir, Oddn? Eir and Unnar Örn Audarson Jónasson, “Ragnar Kjartansson,” Póst-postilla
Hafnarhúslestrarbók, Reykjavik: Reykjavik Art Museum, 2006, pp. 78-85.
Jung, Katharina Klara. “Somewhat Unreal,” in New York Arts Magazine, September 2006.
Coulson, Amanda. Frieze, October 2006.
Danicke, Sandra. “Der traurige Isländer,” in FrankfurterRundschau, Feuilleton, July 14, 2006, p. 16.
Schoen, Christian. “Ragnar Kjartansson,” in A Prior Magazine, #12, Revolver Verlag, Frankfurt 2006, pp.
161-163.
2005
“Bright young things,” Art Review, December 2005, pp. 28, 100.
Hoffman, Jens, “Ragnar Kjartansson,” Material Time, Work Time, Life Time, ed. Jessica Morgan et al
(Frankfurt am Main : Revolver, 2005), p. 32.
Sladen, Mark. “Iceland Hopping,” Artforum, May 2005.
Jón B.K. Ransu. “Leikhúsdraugurinn,” Morgunbladid, 2005, and in Tímarit Mals og Menningar, March
2005.
2004
“Visions of Beyond,” Art Fairs International, 2004.
Psibilskis, Liutauras. “Momentum 2004, “Artforum, December 2004.
“From Darkness to Light: Icelandic Art,” Dazed and Confused Magazine, October 2004.
“Where Do We Go From Here: Emerging Icelandic Artists,” Time Out New York, August 5-12, 2004, p. 51.
2003
Demby, Eric. “Iceland Cometh,” Artforum, February 2003.

Person TypeIndividual

Terms