i8 Gallery's presentation for Art Basel Miami Beach 2023 features artists who are key figures within the gallery's history from past to present. Birgir Andrésson (b. 1955-d. 2007, Iceland) explored history, memory, and language in his practice. Ragna Róbertsdóttir’s (b. 1945, Iceland) practice explores identity, materiality, and time, as well as natural and architectural histories. An underlying pathos and irony connect Ragnar Kjartansson's (b. 1976, Iceland) works, with each deeply influenced by the comedy and tragedy of classical theater. Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson (b. 1967, Denmark) focuses on elements natural to the earth, such as light, water, and motion to create engaging installations and artistic environments. Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir (b. 1980, Iceland), who will represent Iceland in the forthcoming Venice Biennale, explores ideas of beauty, utility, and context, continually questioning the relationship between perception and reality. By presenting prosaic objects in new mediums and scales, Birgisdóttir overemphasizes their familiarity, but also questions the straightforwardness of their functionality. Eggert Pétursson's (b. 1956, Iceland) oil on canvas paintings are figurative representations of Icelandic flora and landscape, however the cropping and perspective of the visual plane creates abstracted elements throughout his work. Arna Óttarsdóttir (b. 1986, Iceland) uses her own notebooks, which are filled with thoughts and drawings, as source material for her textile works. By incorporating sketches and less formal visual elements into her weavings, Óttarsdóttir infuses her work with a personal energy. B. Ingrid Olson (b. 1987, United States) implements elements of photography, sculpture, and performance in an ongoing exploration of the boundaries between body and space. The results of this process are multidimensional objects and images that re-imagine the capacities of the body and the structuring of space. Olson currently has a year-long solo exhibition on view at i8 Grandi, i8’s second location in Reykjavík. Ryan Mrozowski's (b. 1981, United States) immersive language, which is rooted in visual and linguistic puzzles, frequently uses botanical subjects to explore elements of presence, absence, and perception. Foliage, fruit, and letters become abstracted in Mrozowski’s compositions, as the artist crops and repeats his motifs.
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