Unstable Ground is an ongoing collaboration and practice-based research by artists Gunndís Ýr Finnbogadóttir and Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir. The project explores the experiences of individuals who visited the island of Surtsey between 1963 and 2022, for various reasons and purposes. Using micro-phenomenological interviews, their method captures intricate details and descriptions of personal encounters with Surtsey’s environment that reveal the rich narratives of participants’ vivid memories of these past (physical) experiences.

The interviews were conducted at the Surtsey Archive Room at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History (NÍ), where the Surtsey Society’s archives and valuable rock samples from the island’s eruption are preserved. These interviews serve as the foundation for the video installation, Unstable Ground, and are documented through various mediums, including video recordings, text transcriptions, audio files, and drawings. The video installation explores contemporary art practices with scientific inquiry and closely considers the interplay between human perception and the evolving natural landscape of Surtsey. The recordings were overseen by Bjarni Þór Pétursson and edited in collaboration with Hrafnkel Tumi Georgsson. Curated by Becky Forsythe.