Composer sees a second Renaissance in cross-disciplinary art

Composer Kjartan Ólafsson says growing openness to art is helping create new possibilities for artists. He is developing a trilogy that brings together poetry, music and visual art, mbl.is reports.

The trilogy, titled Tímablikin, comprises three works that can each stand alone. The poetry book Tímanna blik and a streaming release of the musical work Tímablik are now available, while an exhibition called Tímarými is due to open in 2027.

Ólafsson said the combination of art forms was not new, pointing to Leonardo da Vinci as an early figure who connected different disciplines. He said the visual was playing an increasingly important role in contemporary life, and argued that society was in “a second Renaissance” because of the similarities.

He said poetry, music and visual art all suggest more than they state outright. Music is often ambiguous, poetry somewhat clearer, and visual art the clearest of the three, though viewers may interpret it differently.

Although the works share the same starting point and core, Ólafsson said each has a distinct form. Together, they aim to create a connection between the visual, the conceptual and the audible. Morgunblaðið’s Sunday edition features a fuller interview with him.