Roni Horn's Library of Water: A Permanent Artwork in Iceland
On May 24, 2008, Roni Horn's 'Library of Water' installation debuted in Stykkishólmur, Iceland, remaining open until September 15, 2008. This project, created in collaboration with Artangel, under the direction of James Lingwood and Michael Morris, was housed in a repurposed library building that was moved for better accessibility. The installation features thirty glass columns on the upper level, each filled with glacier water from Iceland, while the lower level accommodates a writer-in-residence. Visitors don white slippers, creating reflections in the water, which contains sediments from various glaciers. To mark the first anniversary, Horn invited several authors, including Hélène Cixous and Rebecca Solnit, along with singer Ólafur Arnalds, to celebrate. Cixous described the installation as a 'stage of water before water'.
Key facts
- Roni Horn created the permanent installation 'Library of Water' in Stykkishólmur, Iceland.
- The work opened on May 24, 2008, and ran until September 15, 2008.
- The installation is housed in a former two-story library building.
- The building was originally a library that was relocated for villagers.
- The upper floor contains 30 glass columns filled with water from different Icelandic glaciers.
- The columns rest on a brown rubber floor with cut-out adjectives.
- Horn invited Hélène Cixous, Rebecca Solnit, Guðrún Eva Minervudóttir, Anne Carson, and Ólafur Arnalds to celebrate the first anniversary.
- Artangel, led by James Lingwood and Michael Morris, helped realize the project.
Entities
Artists
- Roni Horn
- Hélène Cixous
- Rebecca Solnit
- Guðrún Eva Minervudóttir
- Anne Carson
- Ólafur Arnalds
- Jules Verne
- James Lingwood
- Michael Morris
Institutions
- Artangel
Locations
- Stykkishólmur
- Iceland
- Reykjavik
- London
Sources
- artpress —