Outside Looking In, Inside Looking Out in Oslo

The exhibition ´Outside Looking In, Inside Looking Out has traveled extensively and will conclude its world tour this spring when it is set up in Tokyo, Japan. The exhibition aims to highlight Icelandic artists, both those who have already gained a solid foothold as well as those who are on a promising path toward success. The artists whose works are featured in the exhibition are Arnar Ásgeirsson (b. 1982), Emma Heiðarsdóttir (b. 1990), Fritz Hendrik IV (b. 1993), Melanie Ubaldo (b. 1992), Styrmir Örn Guðmundsson (b. 1984), Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir (b. 1980), and Una Björg Magnúsdóttir (b. 1990).

The exhibition is limited by the requirement that the works must fit inside specially constructed wooden boxes, about the size of large suitcases, and on wheels. The staff of the Icelandic Art Center have traveled with the exhibition worldwide, setting up the works in various locations, including Icelandic embassies or embassy residences, where traditional formal rooms have been converted into exhibition galleries. Along with the exhibition is curator Heiðar K. Rannversson, who has been sharing information with visitors about the artists featured in the show.

One artist accompanies the exhibition on each trip. The exhibition was first set up in New York in 2023, with Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir accompanying it. From New York, the exhibition traveled to Amsterdam, where artist Styrmir Örn Guðmundsson joined. It then went to Helsinki with artist Emma Heiðarsdóttir. In 2024, the exhibition was set up in Paris, with Arnar Ásgeirsson traveling with it, and in November the exhibition was displayed in Oslo, with Una Björg Magnúsdóttir joining the trip. Fritz Hendrik IV will accompany the exhibition to Tokyo in May 2025.

The exhibition program is done in collaboration with Business Iceland and the Icelandic Embassies. Images from the exhibition in Oslo in November 2024 are included.