Herma Enters The Reykjavík Cultural Sphere

The new artist-run space on Hverfisgata changes exhibitions weekly

Rebekka Joe and Baldur Stefánsson, Jón Sölvi Walderhaug Eiríksson and Jean-Luc Lazoore, and Bjarki Geirdal and Diana Rós Breckmann are three couples who have collaborated to open Herma, a new artist-run space located at Hverfisgata 4. “It started as a dinner club,” says Jón. All of them are creatives, and Bjarki says that they all “seemed to have this idea of doing something bigger. Culturally, artistically.”

At the beginning of this year, Rebekka was looking for a photography studio but had an idea with Diana: why not take over a bigger space, join forces, and make these ideas of doing something bigger a reality? They saw Hverfistgata 4 on the market, and went to tour it. “This has always been a gallery, for the past 15 years,” says Rebekka, referencing the space’s history as Hverfisgallerí, which was later acquired by Þula. “But the owners were going to get all these government people in here,” she explains, saying the Ministry of Finance was moving to take over the space (as they already work out of many offices in the same building). “I was devastated,” Rebekka says.
“We want to be the space where young artists can take their first steps.”

Despite having to wait about a month, uncertain if they or the government would get the space, Herma eventually won out. They signed the contract in mid-February, and hosted their first exhibition in March, exhibiting paintings by Myndlistaskólinn í Reykjavík students, curated by South African visiting artist Lucy Jane Turpin and Jón.

After this, Rebekka and Baldur collaborated with power company Orka náttúrunnar and acclaimed photographer Anna Maggý for DesignMarch. However, spurred by the collective energy of Anna Maggý and the Herma team, they turned what originally was just going to be a short commercial into an exhibition at Herma. “We somehow managed to be a part of DesignMarch,” laughs Jón, with Bjarki adding, “That was a distant dream.”

A new generation

As I speak with the three of them at Herma, the space is abuzz with preparation. It’s just days before the opening of HRAFNATING, an exhibition of first-year Fine Art students at the Iceland University of the Arts. Herma hopes to create a relationship between younger artists and spaces like Herma.

“We want to be the space where young artists can take their first steps in a good space like this,” explains Bjarki. Jón adds, “I think we are the youngest generation taking over a space like this.” With their age comes a closer connection to current students, and as their generation enters the space-operation scene, they want to make some changes. “In old Reykjavik, which many of us don’t even remember, pre-tourism and everything, there was way more of a creative community and relations between spaces like this and the schools,” points out Jón. The Herma team aspires to return to that.
“Something continuously happening in the cultural sphere is really important for new things to develop.”

And the art students preparing their exhibition agree that this needs to happen. “Something continuously happening in the cultural sphere is really important for new things to develop,” notes Muni, who is one of the artists exhibiting in HRAFNATING. “New art and artists can’t exist without spaces,” Muni states. “This [exhibition] would never have happened if not for a new space.”

Shoot for the moon

One unique aspect is the space does not hold long-term exhibitions; rather, it operates week by week. “Every weekend, there’s a new thing,” Rebekka says, adding “It’s quite a lot, but the artist that comes in here, we just give a key. They do what they want to the space.”

I wonder what the future holds for Herma, and when I ask, Jón is quick to answer, “We want to open another gallery like this on the moon.”

But in a more, let’s say “attainable” goal, Jón references the name they chose for the artist-run space. “Our name is ‘herma,’ which is to copy or to mimic, which is thought of negatively in Icelandic culture,” Jón explains. “Everything is mimicking each other, kind of! We’re trying to get that negativity out of the word.”

As they aspire to instigate change and inspire, Herma hopes to establish its place within the greater Reykjavík cultural sphere. Jón references Mánudjass held at Húrra as an example of what they hope to be within the scene. Herma wants to be the kind of space that is “a staple for people to come here every week, see some fresh ideas and just be part of the culture.”

To engage with some fresh ideas, visit Herma at Hverfisgata 4. Follow their Instagram @herma_rvk to stay up-to-date on their consistently changing space. Their current exhibition, Tópógrafíur, from artist Korkimon, runs until June 15.