Jónsi: FLÓÐ

The National Nordic Museum debuted FLÓÐ (Flood) by Jónsi (Jón Þór Birgisson), lead singer of the world-famous Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. Commissioned for the National Nordic Museum, the artwork is the focus of Jónsi’s first museum exhibition in the United States. The exhibition highlights the natural connections between the coastal cities of Seattle and Reykjavik, which became sister cities in 1986. Changing environmental conditions within the gallery will engage the visitors’ senses of hearing, sight, and smell to transport them to the ocean.

Composed for the installation, Jónsi’s mellifluous music plays through speakers that engulf the room with spatialized surround sound. This audio installation, augmented by a choir composition and field recordings, simulates the experience of a wave traveling the length of the gallery. The scent of seaweed harvested from both the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans has been tinctured and distilled for disbursement through the room. The darkened gallery filled with mist and fog engages the audience’s inner visualization, while a thin strip of light overhead moves with the sound wave.

This exhibition was accompanied by a catalogue, which included essays by Dr. Annie Dell'Aria (Miami University) and Leslie Anderson.