Wildfjords Artist Residency 2014 – 2016

Each session of Wildfjords Artist Residency (WFAR) invited 6-8 artists to participate in ten days of camping and backpacking in the Westfjords of Iceland. The hiking route traced old horse and walking paths once used by inhabitants traveling between the valleys and fjords, weaving through some of the Westfjords’ most majestic land and seascapes. The residency incorporated facilitated activities intended to hone the senses and self; visiting lecturers; a reader that included local literature, history, ecology and theoretical texts on relationship to environment ecological art; and a stay at a remote coastal sheep farm.

WFAR was an opportunity for artists whose work might benefit from a visceral, immersive outdoor living experience, in the context of a richly complex and compelling culture. The project was born from a belief that personal connection to the environment and creativity are vital to sustaining a balanced ecology. We hope this residency enriched participating artists and local residents, both human and non-human.