Björk has opened a major new exhibition in her native Iceland which is formed of three, deeply personal, large-scale audiovisual installations.
The exhibition opened at the The National Gallery of Iceland in Reykjavík on Saturday (May 30), and includes two emotional audio works written in memory of Björk’s mother. It also features a brand new film and sound installation, made from music that features in a forthcoming Björk album that is expected to be released in 2027.
At the heart of the exhibition are the two audio pieces inspired by the singer’s late mother: ‘Ancestress’ and ‘Sorrowful Soil’. Each of them originally featured on her 2022 album ‘Fossora‘, and have now been reimagined on a theatrical scale within a museum context for the first time.
‘Ancestress’ tackles themes of grief and renewal, and is showcased with visuals of a remote Icelandic valley in the gallery. It has been designed as a ritualistic meditation and blends cinematic landscapes with powerful, intriguing instrumentals.
‘Sorrowful Soul’ is presented as an immersive nine-part piece, including 30 individual speaker channels transmitting voices from the Hamrahlíð Choir. It has been designed in partnership with speaking company Genelec and aspires to make voice and architecture come together as one.
The third part of the installation is a new piece of music drawn from an upcoming album from Björk. Details about the title and release date still remain under wraps, although the song that features in the exhibition promises to offer fans “an early glimpse into her next creative chapter through sound, film and immersive technology.”
In a statement, Björk said that the visuals were designed by her alongside painter Natalia Kleszczewska and graphic designer Natalie Liu.
“My role in it was a creative director, bringing in the singer-songwriter tradition, where emotionally precise things happen inside the structure of a song,” she explained. “I guided colour palettes, textures and the environments the music happens in.
“To make this possible, during the process, Natalia often had to paint many shapes and
sizes, different textures and layers of colours,” she added. “Natalie then developed the visuals, designing and overseeing CGI elements, and finding ways for the digital to sit organically alongside Natalia’s world and include my dramaturgy and creative direction.”
Björk added that it took seven months to complete, and added that she wanted to “merge old things with tech [to give them] soul and a meaning.”
“To paint a painting is an analogue craft, but computer programming is craftsmanship too… and both can co-exist. [They are] encouraging each other to bloom even further towards a mutual world.”
The National Gallery of Iceland also has a companion exhibition called ‘Metamorphlings’ in Gallery 4, which is designed by Björk’s longtime visual collaborator and co-creative director, James Merry. It explores sculpture, transformation and hand-crafted organic forms.
On top of that, the Björk exhibition also premieres with the singer appearing in a look by Bottega Veneta, who joined the project and presents the look as part of an ongoing dialogue between fashion, moving image and experimental performance.
Tickets are available now for the exhibition, and it is set to remain open until September 20. It is further supported through creative and technical collaborations with Apple – who join as VR partner – and AIAIAI who provide headphone technology throughout the exhibition.
Visit here for tickets and more information.
The new exhibition opens its doors following Björk announcing a new solar eclipse rave taking place in Iceland later this summer.
Echolalia will host a DJ set from Björk, as well as performances from electronic music star Arca and local talent Sideproject and Ronja Jóhannsdóttir, and is scheduled for August 12 in Víðistaðatún, Hafnarfjörður.
During the event, there will be a two hour eclipse where the site will be bathed in the natural half-light, and just over one minute of “totality”, where the moon completely obscures the sun and creates total darkness. Björk announced the event in April, and also confirmed details of the new exhibition and forthcoming album at that time.
The musician’s last studio album was the aforementioned 2022 record ‘Fossora’, which was given a four-star review by NME.
“An album of reinfatuation and reaffirmation, ‘Fossora’ is invigorating in its drive, if there’s little of real surprise here; hard as the mushroom-gabber beats are, if you’ve heard Pluto or Mutual Core, you won’t be shocked,” it read. “And pop has, to an extent, caught up with Björk a little; to those raised on Blackpink, hyperpop and trap, ‘Fossora’ would hardly be so scary.”
Around that time, the singer also spoke to NME about her connection with live music and Iceland, and revealed that while she is often travelling and going to new events, she ultimately feels grounded when she returns to her home country.
“I’m not really an urban person,” she said, explaining the balance between her social life and natural settings. “I love visiting cities and going clubbing or seeing a gallery or concert, but then I just want to go home. I’m more of a rural person by nature, so it was just a total blessing for me to be [in Iceland during the pandemic.”
