Grants Awarded from the Guðmunda Andrésdóttir Artist Fund
On Friday, May 23, 2025, grants were awarded for the thirteenth time from the Guðmunda Andrésdóttir Artist Fund. The award ceremony was held at the National Gallery of Iceland, coinciding with the opening of Kristján H. Magnússon - Revisited, a new retrospective exhibition of works by Kristján H. Magnússon.
The selection committee comprises a representative from the Gallery’s acquisitions committee and the Director of the National Gallery of Iceland. To date, 23 artists have received support from the fund.
The fund’s mission is to support visual artists pursuing advanced studies in the field.
This year, the following artists were awarded grants of one million ISK each:
Á. Birna Björnsdóttir
Á. Birna Björnsdóttir will complete her Master’s degree at the Institute Art Gender Nature in Basel at the end of September. The program addresses the major challenges of our time through creative and thought-provoking approaches.
Birna has exhibited widely and was, among other achievements, selected for the exhibition After the Sun – Forecast from the North, which was shown in the United States and Denmark. The exhibition explored uncertain future prospects in a time of significant environmental transformation.
In 2023, Birna received the Encouragement Award from the Icelandic Art Center.
Geirþrúður Finnbogadóttir Hjörvar
Geirþrúður Finnbogadóttir Hjörvar began a four-year doctoral program in fine art at LUCA School of Arts in Brussels last autumn. She has held numerous solo exhibitions and works in research-based visual art, critically examining contemporary society.
The titles of her exhibitions and works offer insight into her themes, such as Index (2023) and Monument to the Devaluations of the 1980s.
Photo: Rut Sigurðardóttir
Sölvi Steinn Þórhallsson
Sölvi Steinn Þórhallsson began his Master’s studies at UniArts Helsinki earlier this year. He has held numerous solo exhibitions and participated in group shows both in Iceland and across Europe.
In his work, Sölvi explores the wonder of everyday moments and objects, reflecting on their purpose—or lack thereof. His practice spans photography, installations, sculpture, and video, often working seamlessly across these mediums.
Receiving the grants on behalf of the artists were:
Alexander Hugo Gunnarsson, friend of Sölvi Steinn Þórhallsson; Aðalheiður Kristjánsdóttir, mother of Geirþrúður Finnbogadóttir Hjörvar; and Eik Baldursdóttir, niece of Á. Birna Björnsdóttir; .