“Project your story onto my work”

“Project your story onto my work”

 

Art is about providing people with something that they can project their own stories onto.

At least that was the opinion of German artist Lukas Kindermann when we caught up with him in Reykjavik last Summer.

Lukas, who was exhibiting his book documenting the 2010 volcanic eruption in Iceland through 564 pages of seismographic data material at Harbinger gallery, told us: “Give people something but everyone can take his own story with him that he or she gets.”

By detailing the eruption in his book, in his words more of a minimalist sculpture than something to read, he hoped people would remember their own experiences when viewing the work.

He said: “It’s a minimal book at the same time people have their own stories they can project into it.”

Lukas lives in Munich, Germany, but has been coming to Iceland for the past 10 years. He described the art scene in Iceland as small enough to have an overview of things going on but at the same time international.

“Reykjavik is a very exciting place to be for artists. Somehow we have here a place where all integrants come together, it’s an interesting scene, it’s pretty small so you can get an overview. A lot of people studying art in Iceland also go abroad and then come back and this is very interesting situation because you have a small place with international people coming in.”

Lukas added the crossover with the music scene in Iceland and the artistic community was apparent in Reykjavik and this was relatively unique to Iceland, as was the general interest in contemporary art from artists and beyond the artistic community.

“Definitely art is very well regarded here, people are interested in contemporary art… Even if people are really not into it themselves they have a connection, a family member, who is… Art is really part of the society.”

Find out more about Lukas and his artwork here.

Words by Beth Cherryman