The exhibition “Não sofra mais” (No more suffering), by Ragnar Kjartansson, will be launched on the 14th of April at 9 pm at Santa Clara-a-Nova Monastery, with the presence of the artist himself. The Icelandic artist showcases his work in Portugal for the first time, after presenting his solo work in several contemporary art venues. In 2022, his exhibition "Emotional Landscapes" was one of the most visited ever at the Thyssen Bornemisza, in Madrid. Kjartansson's work, namely the multi-screen video installation "The Visitors" gained worldwide renown in 2019, when it was distinguished by The Guardian as "the best work of art of the 21st century".
Besides this piece, the Santa Clara-a-Nova Monastery will host other acclaimed works by Ragnar Kjartansson, including "Lots of Sorrow", a performance recorded with the band The National, in which the artist himself is one of the leads.
The exhibition also features new works, which Ragnar designed specifically for the iconic space of the monastery. One of the premieres —"Não sofra mais", which lends its name to the exhibition — was inspired by the slogan of the famous Dr. Bayard cough drops that Kjartansson discovered during a visit to Portugal.
Kjartansson's solo show will coincide with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia being classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site. This classification has in fact led to the creation of the Anozero Biennial, which proposes a reflection on the contrast between contemporary art and heritage, exploring the risks and the multiple possibilities inherent to this cultural heritage.
Besides the exhibition, which may be visited between the 14th of April and the 16th of July, the Anozero Biennial — organised by the Círculo de Artes Plásticas de Coimbra, Coimbra City Hall and the University of Coimbra — offers a broad educational programme, including guided tours of the exhibition and the monastery. All information is available here.
About the artist*
Ragnar Kjartansson was born in 1976 in Reykjavík, the city where he lives and works. In his work, he engages various artistic mediums, creating video installations, performances, drawings and paintings that draw on numerous historical and cultural references. An underlying pathos and irony connect his works, each deeply influenced by the comedy and tragedy of classical theater. The artist blurs the distinctions between mediums, approaching his painting practice as performance, comparing his films to paintings and his performances to sculptures. Throughout, Kjartansson conveys an interest in beauty and its banality, using repetitive and enduring performance as a form of exploration.
His major solo exhibitions include venues such as the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Reykjavík Museum of Art; Barbican Centre, London; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Park, Washington D.C. ; Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich; Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; and Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; Museum De Pont, Tilburg, among others. Kjartansson participated in The Encyclopedic Palace at the Venice Biennale in 2013; Manifesta 10 in St. Petersburg in 2014; and represented Iceland at the 2009 Venice Biennale. The artist has received the 2019 Ars Fennica Prize, the 2015 Derek Williams Trust Purchase Artes Mundi Prize, and the 2011 Malcolm McLaren Prize for Performa.
About Anozero*
Anozero – the Coimbra Biennial of Contemporary Art is an initiative from the Círculo de Artes Plásticas de Coimbra, organised in partnership with the Coimbra City Council and the University of Coimbra. Its main objective is to engage reflection on the classification of the University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia as World Heritage by UNESCO. The biennial establishes a confrontation between contemporary art and heritage, exploring the risks and multiple possibilities associated with this cultural heritage. Anozero is a programme of action for the city which systematically questions the territory in which it is installed. Thus, it may contribute to building an active and transformative cultural era, both in Coimbra and in the Central Region.
*source: anozero
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English version: Diana Taborda
Sobre Ragnar Kjartansson
Ragnar Kjartansson nasceu em 1976 em Reiquiavique, cidade onde vive e trabalha. No seu trabalho envolve vários meios artísticos, criando instalações de vídeo, performances, desenhos e pinturas que se baseiam em inúmeras referências históricas e culturais. Um pathos e uma ironia subjacentes conectam as suas obras, cada uma profundamente influenciada pela comédia e tragédia do teatro clássico. O artista confunde as distinções entre meios, abordando a sua prática de pintura como performance, comparando os seus filmes a pinturas e as suas performances a esculturas. Por toda a parte, Kjartansson transmite um interesse pela beleza e a sua banalidade, usando a performance repetitiva e duradoura como uma forma de exploração.
Sobre o Anozero - Bienal de Coimbra
A Bienal de Coimbra é uma iniciativa proposta em 2015 pelo Círculo de Artes Plásticas de Coimbra, organizada com Universidade de Coimbra e com a Câmara Municipal de Coimbra, que assume como objetivo primordial promover uma reflexão quanto à circunstância da classificação da Universidade de Coimbra, Alta e Sofia como Património Mundial da UNESCO. A Bienal propõe um confronto entre arte contemporânea e património, explorando os riscos e as múltiplas possibilidades associadas a este património cultural.
O Anozero é, portanto, um programa de ação para a cidade que, através de um questionamento sistemático sobre o território em que se inscreve, poderá contribuir para a construção de uma época cultural atuante e transformadora.