Shoplifter's Synthetic Hair Installations Transform Spaces into Alien Landscapes

Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, known as Shoplifter, is an artist who creates stunning immersive installations using colorful synthetic hair extensions. Her latest work, Xanadu, will debut at the Format Festival in Bentonville, Arkansas, featuring ten poles draped with hair that create an "alien forest" effect. She blends sculpture and painting in her art, with a notable installation called Chromo Sapiens, first shown at the 2019 Venice Biennale and now housed at Höfuðstöðin in Reykjavík, which she co-founded with Lilja Baldurs. Since earning her MFA in 1994 from the School of Visual Arts in New York, Arnardóttir has produced two to three installations annually. Her collaborations include pieces for Björk and shows at prestigious venues like the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Chromo Sapiens is accompanied by a soundscape from the Icelandic band HAM. Her permanent art space in Iceland opened in early 2022, making her the first woman in the country to create a center for her own work.