Pétur Örn Friðriksson
About GUK and about Pétur's exhibition in GUK
The art exhibition place Garður Udhus Küche was established in May this year. This exhibition place is situated in three countries; in a garden at Selfoss, Iceland, in a shed in Lejre, Denmark, and in a kitchen in Hannover, Germany. Three icelandic artists take care of and curate exhibitions in their resident exhibition spaces.
 
The purpose of this new exhibition place is to bring to the artists the opportunity of presenting their work outside the arena of the conventional exhibition space for arts. The artist has to confront unusual and different spaces at time as he attempts to create the exhibition.
 
The exhibition of The Icelandic Love Corporation was the first one in GUK following their sparkling spectacular opening performance in May 1999.
 
On September 26th a new exhibition opened in GUK where the artist Pétur Örn Friðriksson is showing his work.
 
Pétur Örn is lead by the pattern of the exhibition spaces and is going to build his exhibition during the three month opening period as the scientist exploring beyond any borders in any aspect possible. He will build one installation for each place, a total of three, and each can be described principally as three elements; machine, flag and silhouettes.
 
The machine is supposed to be the main element, central unit, the sculpture, the utility made for purpose. The actual purpose of the machines is unforeseen and at no point predicted, anything is possible at start. As soon as parts become finished, mailed and or installed they become permanently part of the machines, blocking the escape of return as well as forcing the next step of the design, evolution. During the various steps in building the machines they will become recognizable in the manner they evolve through unforeseen growth or mutations.
 
The flags are different. They are finished elements from the start of the process and attached to the machines. Each machine has a set of three local flags; national flag, union flag and militair flag. The reason for the flags is a common habit of human beings of attaching flags to anything traveling far into space. The purpose is not the responsibility of the artist.
 
The silhouettes are foreseen as they are cut by international standards. The set is four silhouettes for each exhibition place. Silhouette shooting started out in Mexico when people where drunk and started to shoot the household animals for pleasure. Silhouette shooting is today an official sport competition practiced by totally sober shooters following strict security rules. The remains of the game is four rows of steel plate animals falling down in invisible blood trails, pain and agony as they receive the bullet. The silhouettes are monuments to the shift of opinion of the civilization towards the environment, today it's rare to see ashtrays emptied during red traffic light.
 
The exhibition will be open during the Sundays October 3rd , November 7th and December 5th between 16:00 and 18:00, local time. Additionally the exhibition is open at request. The exhibition ends onDecember 19th.
 
Pétur Örn can be contacted in tel: +354 863-0319
GUK diary of Pétur's work: http://www.mmedia.is/~show/it/petur/guk
 
See new work for the internet done by Pétur: http://internettrash.com/users/markmid
Photos from Garður
Photos from Udhus
Photos from Küche

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Click here to see more about Pétur's work.