MAGMA is one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of Icelandic contemporary design to date, spanning myriad dimensions of the art form, including furniture, clothing, lighting, jewelry, architecture, textile, technical innovations and cuisine. The exhibition opens at The Reykjavik Art Museum – Kjarvalsstadir on 19 May 2007, during the Reykjavik Arts Festival, and will remain on display through 19 August 2007.
Two pieces from the ESJA installation will be presented, as well as published in the book of the exhibition. Also published in the book will be some work from the MUNDI knit wear label collaborated on with Guðmundur Halgrímsson
The object of the exhibition is to illustrate the impact of design on our immediate surroundings and to bring design's multiform expressions to our attention. Though we do not always notice design, it affects all of us in diverse ways, and often the form and structure of an object contains a long and interesting history which can't be discerned from its appearance. MAGMA attempts to reflect on these themes through the design pre-eminent in Iceland today. The title of the exhibition refers to the simmering creative energy that characterizes the moment in Icelandic design, in both its theoretical and material aspects.
About seventy of Iceland's most prominent and progressive designers will take part in MAGMA; five designers have created innovative works especially for this exhibition. Featured designers are Ninna Thórarinsdóttir, Páll Einarsson, Sigrídur Heimisdóttir, Unnur Fridriksdóttir and Thórunn Árnadóttir, and their projects range from a floor heater to a dress made out of lead? The exhibition will be launched along with a finely crafted book on Icelandic contemporary design. Educational programs and lecture series will be offered in conjunction with the exhibit.
MAGMA is curated by designer Gudrún Lilja Gunnlaugsdóttir, winner of the 2006 Visual Arts Award for Design. Gudrún Lilja Gunnlaugsdóttir has exhibited her work both at home and abroad and her work has been noted in all the major international periodicals devoted to art and design and also in few books. In its 2005 year-end review, Art Review named Gudrún Lilja as one of design's top-ten rising stars.
MAGMA is sponsored by Straumur–Burdarás Investment Bank. The exhibition is a joint project of The Reykjavik Museum, The Reykjavik Arts Festival, and the Design Department of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
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