Tölt - Inspiration Icelandic Horse 2013

Tribute to the Icelandic Horse

Curated by Ragna Fróðadóttir

Exhibition history:

  • Felleshus, Nordic Embassies, Berlin — May 15 to July 6, 2013

  • Karlshorst, Berlin — 2013

  • Nordic House, Reykjavík — later presentation

    Tölt was a contemporary art exhibition dedicated entirely to the Icelandic horse. First presented at the Nordic Embassies in Berlin, the exhibition coincided with the lead-up to the World Championships in Icelandic horsemanship, held in Berlin in August 2013.

    Through photography, sculpture, video, animation, design, and fashion, the exhibition celebrated the horse as both a cultural symbol and artistic inspiration. Its adventurous approach appealed equally to art and horse lovers, highlighting the animal’s enduring role in Icelandic identity.

    The Icelandic horse carries centuries of heritage: wild in the highlands, yet domesticated for work, travel, and companionship. It stands as a living emblem of Icelandic culture, deeply tied to nature, and a recurring motif in literature, folklore, and contemporary arts.

    Contemporary artists—most of them Icelandic—were invited to create or present new works inspired by the Icelandic horse: its beauty, its movements, its colors, and its symbolic presence.

    Artists:
    Ásta Guðmundsdóttir · Benni Vals · Dögg Guðmundsdóttir · Gígja Einarsdóttir · Hrafnkell Birgisson · Kristín Garðarsdóttir · Spessi · Una Lorenzen

    A special homage was dedicated to Birgir Andrésson (1955–2007), a renowned Icelandic artist who represented Iceland at the Venice Biennale in 1995. His works in the exhibition explored the connection between language, perception, and the horse as subject.

Benni Vals – The Last Days in Iceland: poetic photo series of horses before their departure abroad, paired with Icelandic fashion design.

  • Spessi – Portraits of young Icelanders with their horses, telling intimate stories of lifelong bonds.

  • Hrafnkell Birgisson – Driftwood boat sculpture printed with archival horse photography, a metaphor for horses traveling overseas.

  • Ásta Guðmundsdóttir – Textile sculpture in horsehair and linen.

  • Kristín Garðarsdóttir – Horses: installation in ceramic and wood.

  • Dögg Guðmundsdóttir – Furniture design made from Icelandic materials.

  • Una Lorenzen – Animated short film Tölt, a poetic meditation on the horse in Icelandic nature.

  • Gígja Einarsdóttir – Islandpferd, audiovisual work combining photography, Icelandic music, and imagery of the horse in its homeland.