Due North

Due North is an international collaboration envisioned by artist-curator Marianne Bernstein. In January 2014, the Icebox Project Space in Philadelphia (one of the largest independent exhibition venues in the city) will be transformed into a winterscape featuring video and prints created by selected artists from Philadelphia and Reykjavik. New works will be presented as the result of a series of group expeditions and residencies in Iceland. Due North marks the debut of Philagrafika Projects. This is a new venture for Philagrafika, which brought the 2010 Festival to Philadelphia, marking a groundbreaking international dialogue within contemporary print practices.

The main theme and critical exploration for Due North is a re-imagining of the idea of north: whether romantic or treacherous, uncharted or familiar. “North” is a space upon which we project our desire for raw wilderness, for solitude, and the terrifying beauty of the sublime. Both real and imagined, Iceland, from an outsider’s perspective is viewed as exotic, mythical and supernatural.

The American participants will take cues from their Icelandic counterparts, opening themselves to qualities found at the very heart of Icelandic art making: a wild independence, reverence for untamed nature, ancient and intimate links to the sea, a sense of mystery and unquiet stillness in everyday life, and paradoxical qualities of the land (black and white; fire and ice).

Curator Marianne Bernstein has selected the participating American artists: Katie Baldwin, Shawn Bitters, Diane Burko, Marianne Dages, Cindi Ettinger, Katya Gorker, John Heron, David Kessler, Kelsey Halliday Johnson, Rebeca Méndez, Serena Perrone, Paul Soulellis, and Julia Staples. Each artist works with significant environmental, historical, and personal elements of the landscape.

Icelandic artist Rúrí met with the participating US artists in Philadelphia in late February. For Due North, Rúrí will be creating large-scale cartographic works of America and Iceland for her ongoing series “Future Cartography.” Made in collaboration with the geographer Gunnlaugur M. Einarsson, her maps project the future shorelines of our planet, exploring the grave threats to ocean levels and global ice reserves.

The following Icelandic artists have also been selected: Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir, Kristinn Hrafnsson, Kolbeinn Hugi, Hekla Dögg Jónsdóttir, Haraldur Jónsson, Ragnar Kjartansson, Erling T.V. Klingenberg, Anna Hrund Másdóttir, Mundi, Rúrí, Sirra Sigrún Sigurdardóttir, and Magnús Sigurdarson.