This exhibition presents a collection of Birgir Andrésson’s works originally commissioned for Bern, Switzerland. Visitors can explore the artist's conceptual textile art featuring hand-knitted wool flags with traditional motifs, alongside geometric sculpture and cross-stitch imagery. The installation highlights a distinct connection between Swiss cultural symbols and Icelandic artistic heritage.
Read curatorial context and practical visitor information for Birgir Andrésson: The Bear from Bern at i8 Gallery in Reykjavík
The Bear from Bern is a presentation of works by Birgir Andrésson originally commissioned for the Department of Social Services in Bern, Switzerland. The exhibition showcases these unique works, which explore symbolism through knitted flags and sculptural elements inspired by Bernese motifs.
The exhibition The Bear from Bern features a collection of works originally commissioned for the Department of Social Services in Bern. Birgir Andrésson reflects on the project, recalling his time working in a facility for the unemployed and petty criminals alongside an architect who was redesigning the building. Fascinated by the ubiquity of symbols and flags in Switzerland—particularly the bear as a motif in Bern—the artist collaborated with the Icelandic Handknitting Association to produce flags featuring bear motifs, billy goats, and other symbols, all created from undyed wool. These textile works were displayed on flagpoles bolted into walls, topped with aluminum slices shaped like triangles to resemble cheese, a reference to the Swiss aluminum industry. Additionally, Andrésson incorporated cross-stitch pictures framed in the style of Icelandic Hekla stamps, replacing traditional geographic values with the floor numbers of the building and imagery of exploding cheese. The exhibition also features the artist's reinterpretations of wood blocks left behind by the sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson, grounding the installation in both personal history and Icelandic cultural legacy.
Admission information is not explicitly provided on this exhibition page. Please contact i8 Gallery directly or refer to their visit information for details regarding gallery access and opening hours.
Review exhibition status, schedule, venue context, and attribution details for Birgir Andrésson: The Bear from Bern at i8 Gallery in Reykjavík
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