Wond­erland: Work in Progress with Halldór Ásgeirsson

In his art, he works with the foundations of the natural material world based on the philosophy that there is a constant transfer of energy between fields. This energy flows through human existence and affects worldly existence as well as spiritual awareness, culture, arts and religion.

Halldór's special research topic is at the heart of his residency in Ásmundarsafn, Skaftáreldar, a major volcanic eruption which occurred in Iceland in the 18th century. This largest lava flow on earth in the last thousand years not only influenced geological history and caused climatic changes in certain parts of the world, but also left a mark in human history. Halldór works to map these connections and objectify them in works of art that are created through the transformation of material during lava melting and in experiments with sulfur.

Wonderland is a project dedicated to the history of Ásmundarsafn. This was the home and studio of sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982), which he designed himself and built in the years 1942-1950. The plot was adjacent to a farm called Undraland (Wonderland). Ásmundur bequeathed the house and his works to the city of Reykjavik after his day, and a museum dedicated to his memory was established there in 1983. During the four decades that the artist worked in the house, it was a scene of vibrant artistic creation. Throughout the year 2025, artists are invited to elaborate on their own works in progress or any state of flux.

Halldór Ásgeirsson (1956) studied art at L'Université de Paris 8, Dept. Arts Plastiques in1977-80 and 1983-86. He has spent various periods around the world, for example in the Far East, Mexico and Japan where he stayed in the years 2003 - 07 and worked there i.a. with the third generation of the well-known Gutai art group that pioneered in performance and installation in the 1960s. Halldór's travels have been manifested in various ways in his artistic creation. Halldór now lives in Reykjavík, operating a studio in Búðardalur, West Iceland.