I’m New Here

Beth Dillon & Anton Benois

01.07.2015 - 24.07.2015
Opening 01.07.15 6-8pm
Artist Talks 23.07.15 6-7pm

How do you find your way out of an Icelandic forest?

Stand up.

'I'm new here' presents acts of landscape appreciation in a number of locations throughout the north of Iceland. Developed during a two-month winter residency at Listhus Artspace, Olafsfjordur, this series of video, photography and sculpture interrogates processes of viewing landscape and the framing of its representation. In particular, 'I'm new here' investigates the touristic gaze, considering how ideas of novelty, beauty and attraction influence the experience of exotic and unfamiliar places.

This collaborative project was developed in response to theories of critical tourism, particularly in relation to nomadic models of art production in poststudio practice and residency programs. ‘I’m new here’ considers the framing of place and identity in this context, asking:
- At what point do sightseers become artists and tourism becomes research?
- In visiting and working in wild and remote places such as a fishing village in Iceland, how can artists deal critically with post-card landscapes in their practice?
- In situations where the artist and tourist are dealing with the same images and narratives, and using the same technologies to record these experiences, how to differentiate between snapshot and artwork?

‘I’m new here’ was supported by funding from the Listhus SKAMMDEGI
Award, and the Sainsbury Sculpture Grant (NAVA).