YOU NAME IT

Photo-installation on the second floor of Horris garage in Seydisfjordur, east Iceland, summer 1995

The artist visited the exhibition site, which was an empty business premises, and photographed it. Then he enlarged the photos, framed them and hung each one on the wall that it showed. He had thereby taken the first step towards transforming the premises, since the bare wall each photo showed was no longer there, but in its place was a photo - of the wall.

The next step that he took towards endowing the building with meaning was to name each of the photographs after a type of business activity that was realistic to undertake there. Chosen in consultation with local people, the names included School of Languages and Hobbies, Upholstery and Furniture Repairs, and Beuty Parlour. As it says in the catalogue, “All over Iceland there are empty business premises, waiting for people with ideas.” This is a sample of such premises with suggestions for possible uses for them. If the exhibition provokes positive questions, kindles new ideas of encourages people to act, the benefits will be at least twofold: The probability of someone actually using the premises will increase significantly, and people who until now have doubted the role of art in shaping society will have something new to doubt.

But of course it doesn’t matter if nothing happens. That’s happened before.