– exhibition
’Vestur í bláinn’ was a multidisciplinary music and art project on immigration in Iceland. It aimed to be a space for voices, different languages and stories of people from diverse origins.
Julius Pollux started ‘Vestur í bláinn’ as an experimental music project, which combines voices of immigrants and refugees in Iceland with his own musical take on the subject.
Claire Paugam and Julius Pollux then teamed up to expand the project into an art exhibition and elevate political concerns within a poetic perspective, encouraging a humanistic and empathetic look on people’s stories, situations, emotions and backgrounds.
Local artists were invited to engage in a dialogue with the music pieces by creating the ten artworks that were presented in this exhibition.
The exhibition took place in ten public locations in Reykjavík from September 3rd to September 30th 2020.
Thank you for your curiosity, thank you for listening.
Claire Paugam & Julius Pollux Rothlaender (curators)
Participating artists:
Úa Von, Hugo Llanes, Melanie Ubaldo, Bára Bjarnadóttir, Ewa Marcinek, Eva Bjarnadóttir, Claire Paugam, Julius Pollux Rothlaender
Locations of the exhibition:
Hlemmur, Nýlistasafnið, Harpa, Mjódd, Vesturbæjarlaug, Borgarbókasafnið Gerðubergi, Listasafn Reykjavíkur, Andrými, Kaffi Laugalækur, Ráðhúsið
The exhibition was supported by Myndlistarsjóður and Myndstef
Video tour of the exhibition:
Video by Patrik Ontkovic
– music project
Vestur í bláinn started as a music project by Julius Pollux
Release date: September 1st, 2020
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All proceedings from sales on bandcamp will be donated to No Borders Iceland.
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All
music written, recorded and produced by Julius Pollux Rothlaender
Mixed
by Greg Giorgio
Artwork
by Claire Paugam
Additional
musicians:
Ægir
Sindri Bjarnason, drums & percussion (#1, 6, 7, 10, 12)
Sigurlaug
Thorarensen, vocals (#3, 6, 7, 9, 11)
Tumi
Árnason, saxophone (#3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12)
Maja
Gravermoen Toresen, violin (#6, 7, 9, 10, 12)
Martijn
Eikenhout, double bass / guitar (#4, 7, 8)
Eugénie
Ricard, bassoon (#1, 9)
Alison
MacNeil, voice (#5, 12)
Óli
Kondrup, trumpet (#1)
Rakel
Sigurðardóttir, violin (#1)
Brynja
Bjarnadóttir, vocals (#3)
Asker
Bjørk, drums (#3)
Peter
Broderick, vocals (#4)
Hannah
Epperson, vocals & violin (#4)
Maria-Carmela
Raso, vocals (#4)
Mink
Steekelenburg, synths (#7)
Bjarni
Daníel, vocals (#7)
Dušan
Ðurović, guitar (#8)
Afra
Kane, vocals (#9)
Finnbogi
Örn Einarsson, vocals (#11)
Sóley
Stefánsdóttir, vocals (#12)
Moses
Destiny, vocals (#12)
On invitation of the Reykjavík Arts Festival and as a final celebration of the project and the voices that it features, Julius Pollux invited a group of friends and musicians to perform the music pieces of Vestur í bláinn as a live concert together.
Due to new Covid-19 restrictions in Iceland, the live concert had to be cancelled last minute and was recorded on video instead.
Musicians:
Sigurlaug Thorarensen - vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass
Maria-Carmela Raso - vocals, keyboards
Rakel Sigurðardóttir - violin, keyboards
Ægir Sindri Bjarnason - drums, percussion
Tumi Árnason - saxophone, clarinet
Dušan Ðurović - guitar, bass
Bjarni Daníel Þorvaldsson - vocals
Julius Pollux - keyboards, sampler, guitar, bassLive
Sound & Recording: Nikulás Yamamoto Barkarson
Mix & Master: Julius PolluxSpecial
Video by Patrik Ontkovic
Thanks:
Reykjavík Arts Festival, Ása Dýradóttir, Árni Hjörvar Árnason, Abbas Ali, Claire Paugam & all voices, musicians and artists that participated in Vestur í bláinn
– press