Nordic Impressions

Nordic Impressions: Contemporary Art from Åland, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden  brings together a wide array of artistic expressions—paintings, drawings, photographs, installations, films, and videos—that reflect the rich diversity and global character of Nordic art. 

Curated by Phillips Collection Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Academic Affairs Klaus Ottmann, the exhibition features works by internationally acclaimed artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Katrín Sigurdardóttir, Ragnar Kjartansson, and Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir / Shoplifter from Iceland; Israeli-born Danish painter Tal R, Danish artist collaborative SUPERFLEX, and artists Jesper Just and Per Kirkeby; Norwegian performance and video artist Tori Wrånes and photographer Torbjørn Rødland; Finnish artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila; Swedish painter Mamma Andersson and video and mixed-media artist Nathalie Djurberg; Sámi artists Outi Pieski and Britta Marakatt-Labba; Greenlandic painter, photographer, and writer Pia Aarke; and others.

Made across a spectrum of media from locations throughout the Nordic region, the works in the exhibition each offer a different artistic experience while being tied across themes that have held a special place in Nordic culture: both historic themes such as light and darkness, the coalescence of nature and folklore, women’s rights and social liberalism; and more current subjects such as climate change, sustainability, and immigration. 

Drawn from a larger survey at the Phillips Collection in the fall of 2018, this exhibition comes from the work of the multi-year Nordic Cultural Initiative, a collaboration between the Phillips Collection and the Washington, D.C.-based embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, launched in 2014 to promote the wealth of Nordic artistic talent.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website