Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Seattle Parks and Recreation are pleased to announce the exhibition Borders by Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir at Westlake from June 6 to fall 2012. The installation of 26 androgynous, life–size human sculptures, 13 aluminum and 13 cast iron, will extend throughout the park between Pine and Pike streets. Westlake Park is located at 401 Pine St in downtown Seattle.
Thórarinsdóttir’s figures, some standing, some seated on park benches, will mirror each other in silent conversation, forming unseen borders. As visitors investigate the sculptures or simply pass by, they will cross these borders and, for a moment, serve as ambassadors between sculptures. The exhibition addresses humanity and cultural diversity, an appropriate theme for one of the most culturally and politically active sites in Seattle. Borders will connect diverse audiences to new artistic experiences. The artwork will foster conversation and provide a unique backdrop for daily events at this public space.
Thórarinsdóttir will be present at an opening ceremony at 5 p.m., June 6, at Westlake Park. Ambassador of Iceland to the United States Gudmundur Árni Stefánsson, Deputy Mayor of Seattle Darryl Smith, and Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will be among the guests. The festivities will continue at the Nordic Heritage Museum with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
An exhibition at the Nordic Heritage Museum, held in conjunction with Borders, will feature sculptures by Thórarinsdóttir and photos by Murray Head. The exhibition will be on view June 6 to Aug. 28. The museum is located at 3014 Northwest 67th St. in the Ballard neighborhood.
Hosted by New York City Parks and Recreation, Borders first exhibited in 2011 in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza and then moved to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
Thórarinsdóttir has worked as a professional artist for more than 30 years and exhibited widely in Europe, Japan, the United States and Australia. Her works are in private, public, and corporate collections around the world. She has completed commissions at Leifur Eiríksson International Airport, Iceland, and the two-part memorial Voyage in Hull, England, and Vik, Iceland, among others. Thórarinsdóttir recently finished a 30-foot-high sculpture for the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. For more information on Thórarinsdóttir, visitwww.steinunnth.com.
Borders comes to Westlake Park as part of the joint efforts of the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Seattle Parks and Recreation to mix art into daily Seattle life and to enliven our downtown public parks. Partners also include The Roosevelt Hotel, Seattle; Scott White Contemporary, La Jolla, California; the Consul General of Iceland in New York City; the Icelandic Embassy in Washington, D.C.; Iceland Naturally; Seattle Sister City Reykjavik;, Icelandair; and Eimskip Shipping Firm.
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