August 16 2000
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Laxástöð Gallery
As we arrive at the station entrance which is built right into the rock it really starts to pour down. This is not too common in Iceland - normally drizzle is the most frequent form of precipitation.
We wait for a while, and as we think the rain might have tapered off a bit we dash for the door. A student of philosophy gives us a friendly introduction and takes us on the tour.
We're just around the first corner as the first glimpse already gets us hooked. What a sight! A large underground cavern stretches before us and opens into a vast hall. At the end of the hall a disks glows warm and brightly like the full moon.
We stop shortly at a table where two girls have spread out some flea market goods. We learn this is a tombola benefitting people with cancer, so we give it a try. We even win Neptun riding on a whale...
Handles on the Wall
The walkway leading down to the generator hall hosts the first piece of art.
Big Disk
A bright large disk hangs weightless in the darkness of the huge generator hall.
Power - Water, Wind, Sun
Water, wind and sun are natural sources we use for generating energy. The panels on the wall symbolize falling water, the wheels on the floor are wind generators, and the candles symbolize the light.
The Last Supper 2000
Mounted on thin metal rods which grow out of the rock face is the "Last Supper 2.1". The central point is occupied by a computer monitor and a keyboard.
Breathing
Powered by water pressure "only", the rock slowly heaves and falls back again. A pneumatic suspension cylinder used in trucks has found a new application in this installation.
Water
This cavern is "the most expensive gallery room in the world". The original concept for the power station foresaw two turbine units. Environmental protests lead to a lower dam than originally planned, and this meant sufficient water could only be provided for one generator set.
This space is now used for an installation of the names of Icelandic waterfalls and lakes.
New Icelanders 1999
The name of all Icelanders born in the year 1999 (some 900) have been written on a piece of paper which has been placed in test tubes.
Network
This work displays a network, incorporating symbols from the electronic industry. It has been woven into yet another net made of "invisible" thin nylon strings and covers a niche in the rock.