With The Tides, Plus Eternity: AND ANTI MATTER’s Journey Into The Unknown

How do you begin to describe eternity? An infinite concept, forever trapped in an endless loop that falls through the space between being and unbeing? An ethereal wisp that flutters through your fingers as you tumble through time and space without a moment’s reprieve?

“We have objects that don’t necessarily have an obvious connection, but for us, they are super connected.”

For most people, attempting to describe the concepts of eternity are a lifelong endeavour—one that requires deep questions and soul searching. For the designers behind AND ANTI MATTER (&AM), though, it was an exciting challenge, and a realisation that birthed a tantalising concept, which eventually became their DesignMarch exhibit ‘Plus Eternity’.

&AM is a design studio born from the partnership of married couple Þórey Björk Halldórsdóttir and Baldur Björnsson. Their new installation invites viewers to open their imaginations to various abstract concepts as they explore the inside of the Grótta lighthouse. It is beautiful, complex and incredibly inviting.

The beauty in chaos

People often make the mistake of thinking that abstract installations like this one are just random, or maybe even strange for the sake of being strange. With ‘Plus Eternity’, though, nothing could possibly be further from the truth. When you talk with Þórey and Baldur, it becomes obvious that every small detail has been planned to work together in harmony. “We have objects that don’t necessarily have an obvious connection, but for us, they are super connected,” the two explain, sharing a knowing look to one another.

According to the artists, ‘Plus Eternity’ aims to create a journey that can be enjoyed on a variety of levels. It is a personal work, first and foremost, the basis of which lies in the love between the two designers. Being able to work in Grótta holds a special significance for them—it’s where they were married— but it also sets the scene for an experience full of intriguing techniques and sensory stimulation. Knowing nothing about the couple allows you to enjoy each piece separately for what it is, while being privy to their love story allows you to see the invisible threads running between them all.

Looking forward to look back

“We would prefer to do something that touches us,” each reiterate. For them, ‘Plus Eternity’ is not just about looking back on the past, but a constantly evolving idea that will also take them into the future. With this in mind, they’ve brought a variety of new ideas to the table. One was to incorporate pre-coloured ceramics into the exhibition. This was a new medium for the couple, however, it proved to be much more difficult than they had originally anticipated.

“We borrowed a 3D ceramic printer from the Reykjavik School Of Visual Arts,” Baldur explains. The school owns Iceland’s only ceramic 3D printer and it provided a whole new way for the artists to approach the work. The combination of this new technology with their design ability and natural curiosity led to the creation of some amazing ceramic sculptures. Alien in nature, unique in composition, they complete the circular vision of the exhibition—the circle of eternity.

Info: The exhibit will be at the Grótta lighthouse from March 27th to 31st.