Five Icelandic Artists go to Canada The Idea of North in Halifax

Titled after Glenn Gould’s influential radio documentary of 1967, The Idea of North is a three-part exhibition of contemporary audio and media art that addresses the concept of the locality of sound. The installations at Dalhousie Art Gallery include playful sound objects by Marla Hlady, a mysterious projection by Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir, an experimental radio broadcast by Dana Samuel (in collaboration with CKDU) and a fascinating sound environment by Jana Winderen. The Idea of North is the result of an international collaboration of artists, curators and institutions, and has involved exhibitions in Norway, Iceland and Canada. The Canadian exhibition, a multi-venue event involving sixteen artists from Canada, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, has been organized by Toronto-based curator Rhonda Corvese in collabration with Dalhousie Art Gallery, Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery and Eyelevel Gallery, with financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the NS Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage.

OPENING RECEPTIONS:

Thursday 12 January at 8 pm - Dalhousie Art Gallery
Friday 13 January at 8 pm - Saint Mary's University Art Gallery
Saturday 14 January at 8 pm - Eyelevel Gallery

A curatorial collaboration between curators in Canada (Rhonda Corvese), Iceland (Solveig Alda Halldorsdottir and Hekla Dogg Jonsdottir) and Norway (Yngvild Faeroy and Sossa Jorgensen), The Idea of North brings together three groups of sound artists in three distinct exhibitions in Canada, Iceland and Norway. The first two parts were realised at Gallery F 15 in Moss, Norway (28 May - 7 August 2005) and at Klink & Bank in Reykjavik, Iceland (10 June - 10 July 2005).

The Canadian exhibition will be presented collaboratively in January-February 2006 at three Halifax galleries: Dalhousie Art Gallery (12 January - 26 February 2006), Eyelevel Gallery (14 January - 25 February 2006) and Saint Mary's University Art Gallery (13 January - 19 February 2006).

Dalhousie Art Gallery will present works by Marla Hlady, Kristin Bjork Kristjansdottir, Dana Samuel and Jana Winderen.

At the same time, Saint Mary's University Art Gallery will show works by Jean-Pierre Gauthier (winner of the 2004 Sobey Art Award), Asdis Sif Gunnarsdottir & Ragnar Kjartansson, Sirra Sigrun Sigurdardottir & Erling T.V. Klingenberg, and Maia Urstad.

Eyelevel Gallery will feature works by Steven Cuzner, Eleanor King & Stephen Kelly, Christof Migone, Tasman Richardson and Liv Strand.

As well, MP3 players for the piece Soundroam by Eleanor King & Stephen Kelly may be signed out at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia reception desk from noon on Saturday, 14 January and continuing for the duration of the exhibition.