July 26, 2013 – January 5, 2014
Reception: Friday, August 30th, 5-8PM
Ragnar Kjartansson
Filmed on the location of Rokeby Farm in the Hudson River Valley, “The Visitors” assembles a close group of Kjartansson’s friends—artists and renowned musicians from Reykjavik and beyond—whom each contribute individual performances to a collective musical production. The title is borrowed from the 1981 Swedish pop band ABBA album. It was supposed to be the band’s last and was produced as internal strife and divorce broke up their collaboration. The lyrics to Kjartansson’s “The Visitors” belong to a poem by artist Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir, Kjartansson’s ex-wife, combined with the musical arrangement of another artist, Davíð Þór Jónsson. In a single take, the artist’s friends perform the emotional 64-minute piece while in nine separate rooms throughout the Hudson Valley home.
“The Man” is a single-projection work featuring legendary blues pianist Pinetop Perkins. Perkins, who had performed for over seven decades, was the oldest surviving blues performer from the Delta region until his passing in 2011. His performance extends Kjartansson’s fascination with repetition and endurance, as well as portraiture and was filmed in 2010 outside of Austin, Texas.
Images courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York, and i8 Gallery, Reykjavik.
Fantastic exhibit. Will be bringing my wife to view. Have been calling others to recommended “the visitors”. Very emotional. Thank you for allowing the public access to your facility. I am thankful I was able to go on today’s field trip with my daughter.
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Looking forward to checking this out. I was privileged to meet Pinetop Perkins at a bar in Austin, TX about 5 years ago. And listen to him play, of course.