Sheep centre’s gallery booked for the next 12 years

The exhibition space at the Centre for Icelandic Lead Sheep in Þistilfjörður is booked for the next 12 years, mbl.is reports. The centre contains information about Icelandic lead sheep and also houses a small art gallery with annual exhibitions.

This year’s exhibition features work by Arna Guðný Valsdóttir and Aðalsteinn Þórsson. Detailed descriptions accompany both artists’ work.

Arna’s work combines video and still images of lead sheep that she photographed and shaped into a poetic narrative. She calls the work Horfðu til austurs, horfðu til vesturs, horfðu á þann sem að þér þykir bestur, which translates as Look east, look west, look at the one you like best. Arna has had a varied artistic career and works as an art teacher in Akureyri.

Aðalsteinn’s works are of a different kind. They decorate the centre’s veranda and consist of various wooden shields and weapons. The work is titled Liðssafnaður og málamiðlun, or Gathering forces and compromise, and refers in part to the Icelandic sagas, disputes and conflicts.

Aðalsteinn was interested in weapons and shields as a child, many examples of which appear in the Icelandic sagas. Good leadership is important in conflicts and disputes, whether among people or in a flock of sheep. Art has been Aðalsteinn’s lifelong vocation, and he lived in the Netherlands for many years after completing further studies.

Daníel Hansen, the centre’s director, said attendance had been good over the summer. A considerable number of foreign tourists had visited and shown strong interest in the sheep and their history.

The centre also sells handicrafts, including wool yarn made from lead sheep wool and knitted goods. Ærblanda coffee, a blend made specially for the centre, is a popular gift among visitors, Daníel said.

Renovation work has continued on the building this summer, including new exterior cladding and maintenance of the veranda.