on/off, 2004
© Courtesy of the artist
Collection
Conceptual art work; Red blinking light on the hill of Mt. Untersberg
Approx. 3 sec on 3 sec off
Finnbogi Pétursson’s work is informed by the terrain that surrounds him – namely the rugged beauty of Iceland. Aspiring to generate a transformative effect, he seeks to capture these natural phenomena, including sound, water, fire, shadow, and light, and channel them into new forms – as “something other than what they are.” Linking science and nature by translating these ephemeral forces into lush sound and lightscapes, Pétursson unearths connections to cultural and physical landscapes while defying convention and easy classification within his practice.
Straddling the border between Salzburg, Austria and Berchtesgaden, Germany is the Untersberg – a tabletop massif made famous by the 1965 film The Sound of Music. While visiting the Untersberg, Pétursson was charmed by something he saw there: a red light blinking in three-second intervals. Without seeking an explanation for the pulsing glow, he transformed it into an artwork by titling it on/off, later gifting this work to Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Collection. – Alicia Reuter
*1959 in Reykjavik, Iceland | Living and working in Iceland
Approx. 3 sec on 3 sec off
Finnbogi Pétursson’s work is informed by the terrain that surrounds him – namely the rugged beauty of Iceland. Aspiring to generate a transformative effect, he seeks to capture these natural phenomena, including sound, water, fire, shadow, and light, and channel them into new forms – as “something other than what they are.” Linking science and nature by translating these ephemeral forces into lush sound and lightscapes, Pétursson unearths connections to cultural and physical landscapes while defying convention and easy classification within his practice.
Straddling the border between Salzburg, Austria and Berchtesgaden, Germany is the Untersberg – a tabletop massif made famous by the 1965 film The Sound of Music. While visiting the Untersberg, Pétursson was charmed by something he saw there: a red light blinking in three-second intervals. Without seeking an explanation for the pulsing glow, he transformed it into an artwork by titling it on/off, later gifting this work to Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Collection. – Alicia Reuter
*1959 in Reykjavik, Iceland | Living and working in Iceland