As in most fields, women in art have often been pushed to the margins and left woefully under-represented. It was only during the Renaissance, still most celebrated for the works of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, that women artists such as Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana gained some recognition.
Yet barriers persist today. In her 1971 essay, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”, Linda Nochlin identified the structural and institutional obstacles that kept women outside the art world. Her critique continues to ring true.
More recently, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington reported that women now make up 51 per cent of visual artists worldwide, yet their work is rarely seen in public, with 78 per cent of London galleries still showing more male than female artists.
Björk
“Echolalia”, Björk’s multidisciplinary exhibition opening at the National Gallery of Iceland as part of the Reykjavík Arts Festival on May 30, takes its name from the act of involuntarily repeating what another person says.
Unfolding across four galleries in three large-scale installations, the exhibition reflects ongoing collaborations between Björk – multitalented singer, songwriter, composer, record producer and actress – with musicians, dancers and filmmakers. At its core, however, “Echolalia” is a deeply intimate tribute to her late mother, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir, who died in 2018.
The first installation is connected to Björk’s forthcoming album, featuring pieces drawn directly from the new music that marks her latest chapter. Two and three revisit Ancestress and Sorrowful Soil – both elegiac tracks made in 2022 and dedicated to her mother.
Known for her avant-garde sound and boundary-pushing visual artistry, Björk transforms the museum into an immersive reflection on grief and the cyclical nature of life. Works on display include video and sound collaborations with communities of musicians, artists, designers, dancers, filmmakers and studio technicians.
Running alongside “Echolalia” is “Metamorphlings”, the first museum retrospective of James Merry, Björk’s long-time collaborator and mask designer.
