Ragnar Kjartansson

Ragnar Kjartansson engages multiple artistic mediums, creating video installations, live performances, drawings, and paintings that draw upon a myriad of historical and cultural references.

An underlying pathos and irony connect his works, and they are deeply influenced by the comedy and tragedy of classical theater. Kjartansson blurs the distinctions between mediums, approaching his painting practice as performance, likening his films to paintings, and his performances to sculpture. Throughout, Kjartansson conveys an interest in beauty and its banality, and he uses durational, repetitive performance as a form of exploration.

Ragnar Kjartansson was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1976 and lives and works in Reykjavík. He has been collaborating with BORCH Editions since 2016.