Ragnar Kjartansson

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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

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“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

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“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

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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.