Constitution, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma - ‘The Constitution Of The Republic Of Iceland’ - an art installation by Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson

‘The Constitution Of The Republic Of Iceland’ - an art installation by Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson

Iceland’s constitution has, of late, become something of an apple of discord. Deemed outdated and ineffective after the bank collapse, the Icelandic people gave it their best shot and tried to elect an assembly to amend the document last year, but the election was deemed invalid two months later, and it seems we’re stuck with it for the time being.

To better acquaint the ignorant populace with that lovely scrap of paper, artists Libia Castro and Ólafur Ólafsson, working with composer Karólína Eiríksdóttir, have created a video installation/musical composition that deals directly with all 81 articles of the constitution, up to the point where they will actually be sung by a baritone/soprano duo.

Although the piece was originally performed in 2008, they have followed in the time-honoured tradition of subversive radicals such as Elton John, Osama Bin Laden and Rick Astley, and revived their work at a time of greater cultural relevance.

The musical piece will serve as an opener for the video exhibition, and will be aired on national television twice in the following week. The artists, incidentally, are Iceland’s contributors to this year’s Venice Biennale art festival, and should be considered worth watching.

When: February 12, 15:00, exhibit runs until March 13
Where: Hafnarborg, The Hafnarfjörður Centre of Culture and Fine Art, Strandgata 34, 220 Hafnarfjörður