Lighting up the Darkness in the East

The village of Seydisfjord in the far east of the island is surrounded by high mountains and doesn’t see the sun from November until the end of February. A new local initiative will make the long dark days brighter; an art festival called List í Ljósi (Art in the Light)

List í Ljósi will turn on its lights  for the first time today. A community driven, family friendly art event that takes place outdoors transforming Seydisfjordur´s winter sleep into an illuminated hub of activity until tomorrow at midnight. The town will light up with curated artworks by international and local artists, ranging from installations, projections and performances to large-scale immersive experiences.

Just over 30 artists have tackled the challenge of working with light in their artworks; further information about individual project is found here.

Today Friday 19th February the festival starts in the morning with a Light Festival symposium and it ends at midnight on Saturday with a concert in the blue church.

The town of Seydisfjord is well known for its appetite for art and artists and an unusual tolerance and interest of the local people when it comes to the peculiarities of contemporary arts. There is a flora of creative operations, with Skaftfell – Centre for Visual Art; an international artist residency, an exhibition- and project space and educational program, the Lunga School; a creative school for young people and Heima; a collective and a residency for a range of creativity – to name the main initiatives (but not the only ones).
The town of approximately 700 inhabitants has certainly made room for the creative in between the mountains of the east.