Elín Hansdóttir (b.1980) is an Icelandic visual artist that for over two decades has explored the intersection of space, perception and presence through a multidisciplinary practice encompassing installation, photography, sculpture and film. A consistent thread throughout the artist´s work is the creation of experiential spaces - settings that subtly shift perception and invite viewers to engage with their surroundings as well as themselves, in unfamiliar ways. 

Driven by an interest in transitional and ambiguous enviroments, the artist constructs spaces that often mirror our inner states, gently confronting us with our position and agency within them. The creative process is understood not as a linear path to completion, but as a living continuum - where each idea germinates, branches and evolves in its own time. 

In addition to her exhibitions, Hansdóttir has created scenographic designs for theatre and performance, where her interest in narrative and spatial tension continues to evolve. 

She has exhibited internationally, notably at KW Institute for Contemporary Art (Berlin), Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für Gegenwart (Berlin), n.b.k Berlin, Künstlerhaus Bethanien (Berlin), ZKM Karlsruhe, Frieze Projects (London), The Marrakech Biennale, Martha Herford, i8 Gallery (Reykjavík), The Reykjavík Art Museum and the National Gallery of Iceland. 

Hansdóttir was a grantee of Institut für Raumexperimente in 2010/2011, which was founded by artist Ólafur Elíasson. In 2016 she was awarded the Optimism Award for Culture, patroned by the President of Iceland and later the same year she was awarded the Guðmunda S. Kristinsdóttir Art Prize, founded by artist Erró. 

︎︎︎ CV

For inquiries please contact: 

Studio Elín Hansdóttir
Reykjavík
︎ mail@elinhansdottir.com
︎ @elinhansdottir