Sewing Machines, Combs, And A Xiao Flute

Lindy Lin makes use of everyday ephemera in her multi-disciplinary piece Mirror Stage

In just a few years, Lindy (Lidong Lin) has made a considerable impression in Reykjavík’s grassroots scene. Her research project Mirror Stage is set to be performed at the forthcoming concert series Upprásin on March 10.

Hangers-on of the city’s art scene have spotted the surrealist sounds of audiovisual experimentalist Lindy Lin reverberating around the various music spaces, notably Mengi (in a single February week, Lindy performed there twice).

Originally based in Shanghai, China, Lindy moved to Iceland in 2023, taking a leap of faith to an unknown country as she searched for further artistic opportunities.

“The first reason was because I felt Icelandic music was really inspiring,” Lindy shares at Ásmundarsalur. “There’s like some extreme power over here — like a volcano, but at the same time glacial,” she similises.

“When I look at myself in the mirror, I find myself in error.”

“I gradually got to know this country more and found it more fascinating. One moment, Iceland just popped up in my mind, and I thought, ‘I have to go there.’”

Lindy left China for Iceland, enrolling at the Iceland University of Arts’ master’s program New Audiences and Innovative Practises (NAIP) where she continued to develop her lifelong music project Mirror Stage  i ⇌ ! — longstanding  research focused on tracing her personal history within the framework of feminist genealogy. It’s a multifaceted, multilayered piece of avant-garde, improvisational music split up into a solo practice and collective feminine improvisation, featuring 14 female-identifying artists. It’s ambitious work that raises questions about femininity and Lindy’s personal identity.

Photo by Art Bicnick.

“It’s a long-term concept which started with a mirror. I’ve always had a long-term question about myself, like, why do I care so much about the mirror? When I look at myself in the mirror, I find myself in error,” Lindy shares, repeating the statement of her thesis.

The piece, which she performs at the forthcoming Upprásin show, mixes compositional methods with improvisation, creating a semi-rigid set, unable to be fully replicated each time it’s performed. Among the instruments making an appearance during Lindy’s shows are the traditional Chinese Xiao flute in tandem with everyday objects: combs, knitting needles, and various mundane ephemera — a hallmark motif she extends to her other performances.

Platforming feminine identities

Since moving to Iceland, Lindy has found herself deeply embedded within the community of Icelandic musicians. Alongside from Mirror Stage, Lindy has found company among her fellow LHÍ students while casting a wider net into the local music scene. Among the projects she has helped establish are Sew What, Yang Soup and Wet Flute Trio, working with musicians Ronja, Sigurlaug Thorarensen (BSÍ), Karólína Einars Maríudóttir (Gróa), Stirnir Kjartansson, Diego Mantrizio (Flaryyr), Tumi Árnason, and Vigfús Þór Eiríksson.

While these projects all skew male, Mirror Stage makes it a point to incorporate the breadth of female talent around her.

“Since I came here, I’ve become inspired by all of the musicians around me, and the music scene in general, which is so open, so loving and so creative,” she comments. As part of her studies, Lindy participated in the art university’s experimental sound lab Skerpla, taught by Berglind María Tómasdóttir and John McCowen. “That class gave me courage to explore and improvise myself and build upon the Mirror concept,” Lindy says.

Notwithstanding Mirror Stage’s performance facet, Lindy’s MA project encompasses a reflective report, a visual poetry book and video installations, mixing artistry with academia. Recordings of her performance premiere in late March 2025 show the different aspects of her project. During each performance, Lindy’s ubiquitous Husqvarna sewing machine is set on a table as mechanically produced noise and acoustic vibrations travel the room.

A sudden development

While Lindy’s current musical output is esoteric and improvisational, this is a recent development. With Mirror Stage possibly her most ambitious work yet, Lindy’s exploration of the concept of femininity started on her debut album Her Insula, released in 2022.

Her Insula by Lindy Lin

Comparing Lindy’s older material with her newer music, you might not believe it’s the same person. Mirror Stage is ambient, conceptual, experimental, while Her Insula is practically bubblegum pop. It’s dreamy, psychedelic and strangely accessible.

Lindy has noticed this transformation.

“I’ve been talking about this with all of my friends. I say, ‘Wow, I couldn’t even imagine I made my debut album. Like it’s totally different things,’” she remarks, describing her previous writing process.

“I used to write music with guitar and then compose over that, in a two-step process. But since I’ve been here, I realised I can build on all the soundscapes around me and all of the experiences,” Lindy explains, citing the university’s experimental lab Skerpla as an important inspiration. “Performing live has also influenced all of my music production,” she continues, noting the importance of her surrounding music community in her work.

Photo by Art Bicnick.

“In China, I basically just went into the studio, which was at my home, and during the pandemic I spent three months without going anywhere — so I wasn’t close to any kind of audience. Over here it’s crazy. Even with limited material you can just practice onstage, performing with your friends and creating a real dialogue.”

Lindy Lin will perform Mirror Stage at the forthcoming Upprásin concert on March 10. In addition to Lindy, Splitting Tongues and Jelena Ciric are set to play. Tickets are 2.000 ISK, available at harpa.is. To immerse yourself in Lindy’s research project, visit lindylin7.univer.se.