Words by

Alexander Roberts

We know that something brilliant is about to happen in this city: artFart.
This year’s programme is being pencilled in as I type, and the ever-familiar feeling of enthusiasm is infectious, as the artFart team scan their eyes across the wealth of ambitious, innovative and adventurous work being offered up by both Icelandic and international artists—all now destined to form the building blocks for the 2010 artFart programme.
However, artists and their marvellous creativity is one thing—audiences are another. As the old saying goes—a tree that falls without being heard, does not make a sound—i.e. it is all very well and good that we are making a programme, but people need to know about it—and feel excited enough to get involved. In this light, we at artFart must do more than just marvel at the endless reams of talent running astray—we must give it a home, feed it well and make the news of artFart’s fifth arrival in Reykjavík hit the headlines.
This has got the creative minds of artFart inspired, as we seek to design some shamelessly attention-grabbing actions that will serve to put this year’s festival in view. Ideas that have surfaced so far include:  The Naked Billboard—a naked man or woman taking a stroll down Laugavegur each day—with that day’s schedule scrawled across their bare parts; The Balloon Canvas—an activity that involves taking the festival’s logo (a bicycle given flight by a bunch of balloons) and transforming it into reality, as we tie balloons to all of Reykjavík’s major city landmarks in the hope that we can make them fly; Forehead tattoos—an activity that involves convincing as many people in Reykjavík as possible to get ‘artFart’ tattooed on their face; flash mobs; door knocking; writing a pop song (thank you Best Party); hostage taking; setting off the volcano; stopping the volcano; faking death.
There have been more, but frighteningly, it has to be said, these were our best. So, we have some work to do, but you must keep your eyes and ears peeled. You will know that our brainstorms did not develop any further if you see someone naked promoting this year’s artFart.
FESTIVAL NEWSFLASH: artFart’s Reykjavík Public Space Programme is offering three Iceland-based artists the opportunity to take part in a PAID residency here in Iceland. For three weeks in August three artists will explore different possibilities for contemporary performance taking place in Public Spaces. This unique and one-off opportunity is open to everyone and should not be missed.