HALLGRÍMUR IN PROSPECT
HALLGRÍMSHORFUR
HALLGRÍMUR IN PROSPECT
8 September to 24 November 2024
Hallgrímur in Prospect is an exhibition of works by Hallgerður Hallgrímsdóttir, b. 1984. In them she addresses the legacy of 17th-century poet the Rev. Hallgrímur Pétursson, alluding inter alia to his well known hymns, and to his life. Hallgrímur worked with the power of the word, while Hallgerður captures the moment in a photograph. Both artists convey profound feelings with human warmth, humour and gravity; they express love, grief, spiritual glory and quotidian existence.
In six sets of photographs in the forechurch, Hallgerður offers us glimpses of church sites connected to the Rev. Hallgrímur – though the actual church buildings are of later date. The images are from his birthplace at Gröf, north Iceland; the cathedral at Hólar in the north where he grew up; and the churches where he served as pastor: Hvalsnes in the southwest, and Saurbær in the west. The photographs also include a church which was originally built at Saurbær, and now stands at Vindáshlíð; as well as Hallgrímskirkja (Hallgrímur‘s Church) in Reykjavík, which is dedicated to the poet’s memory, and houses the present exhibition.
On entering the nave, the visitor’s eyes and thoughts are drawn upward to see Hallgerður‘s photographs printed on sheets of translucent fabric – signifying the spiritual dimension within the church, art and the universe.
At eye level on the side walls, ten pairs of framed photographs lead to inward reflection, addressing existential conundrums of life on earth and emotional challenges. Hallgerður reflects herself in Hallgrímur, and by the same token observers reflect themselves in the works. In the chancel the perspective is outward, evoking thoughts that move back and forth in time to past, present and future. Film covering four of the five windows displays views from the four church sites with a connection to Hallgrímur. The middle window is left clear, looking out onto the view from the church itself. The hilltop at Skólavörðuholt in Reykjavík merges with landscapes of north, southwest and west Iceland: Skagafjörður, Reykjanes and Hvalfjörður. The views once seen by Hallgrímur have been brought to us in this time and place for contemplation.
Inga Jónsdóttir, curator
Anna Yates, translator
HALLGRÍMUR PÉTURSSON 1614–1674
Hallgrímur Pétursson is Iceland’s most renowned devotional poet, who also composed many secular verses and poems. He is best known for his fifty Hymns of the Passion about the sufferings and death of Christ, which over the centuries have been cherished by Icelandic readers beyond other literature. They have been published more than 100 times – more often than any other Icelandic book – and translated into many languages. The Hymns are read on RÚV national radio during Lent each year, and in many churches they are read aloud on Good Friday. Hallgrímur Pétursson’s autograph manuscript of the Hymns of the Passion is in the keeping of the National Library of Iceland, and it is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The hallmark of the Hymns is sincerity, spirituality, profound wisdom and metaphysical power, eloquence and rhetorical brilliance. People of all beliefs, and none, have been captivated by the poems and taken pleasure in them. The Hymns of the Passion and Hallgrímur’s other writings continue to be a source of inspiration for artists; such works are often to be seen and heard in Hallgrímskirkja as part of programmes in memory of Hallgrímur Pétursson. This year, 2024, the 350th anniversary of the poet‘s death is being commemorated by various events. including the Hallgrímur Pétursson Festival, 20 to 27 October.
HALLGERÐUR HALLGRÍMSDÓTTIR b. 1984
Hallgerður attracted attention for her art at an early age, leading to many exciting opportunities for her to show her work. She gained her MFA from the Valand Academy in Göteborg, Sweden, having previously graduated from the Glasgow School of Art, where she had specialised in photography. In addition to her own artistic practice, Hallgerður has also proved a talented curator and writer. Hallgerður is deeply conscious of the history of photography, its qualities as a medium, and the potential of the technology. With sensitivity she unobtrusively and sincerely captures the moment in the photograph, which she goes on to develop in her own way. In her exhibition Hallgrímur in Prospect she grants the
observer access to her personal reflections on the life and work of two
individuals of different eras, separated by a period of 370 years: Hallgrímur Pétursson and Hallgerður Hallgrímsdóttir.
Hallgerður attracted attention for her art at an early age, leading to many exciting opportunities for her to show her work. She gained her MFA from the Valand Academy in Göteborg, Sweden, having previously graduated from the Glasgow School of Art, where she had specialised in photography. In addition to her own artistic practice, Hallgerður has also proved a talented curator and writer.
Hallgerður is deeply conscious of the history of photography, its qualities as a medium, and the potential of the technology. With sensitivity she unobtrusively and sincerely captures the moment in the photograph, which she goes on to develop in her own way. In her exhibition Hallgrímur in Prospect she grants the
observer access to her personal reflections on the life and work of two
individuals of different eras, separated by a period of 370 years: Hallgrímur Pétursson and Hallgerður Hallgrímsdóttir.
More information on Hallgerður can be found on her website: https://hallgerdur.com/