NES Artist Residency

Sometimes you don't realise what you miss until you taste it again. Back in Australia I had a circle of artist friends and whilst we may not have soley just talked art...it was always a regular topic that would flow naturally into our conversations.  So when out of the blue I received an email from a printmaker who was in Iceland on an Artist Residency who wished to pop by and meet me...I said yes!

Hideki as he desribes himself is a 6ft Japanese with an English accent who is on his 3rd visit to Iceland (staying longer each time) and considering a 4th. When Hideki and another NES artist Mia were in Sauðárkrókur one day they called by for a Kaffí and chat.  Hideki had come across my name in a brochure that was advertising adult education workshops and thought this is no Icelandic name and through the power of the internet came across my blog and in reading realised I had also met Emma Lindsay as he did when she was here.

Hideki was one of the September group of artist at the NES Residency in Skagastönd about a 40 minute drive from here.  Last week there was an open day to share this group of artist's work with the community before they all leave for their homelands.  I had been meaning to visit the residency before this...but just had not got around to it.  Meeting Hideki and Mia earlier in the week ensured that I would not miss this open day.

 

Hideki and I at the Open Studio event

Photo by Ingeun

The NES Residency which is set up quite differently to Bær, offers studio space and living quarters for a small fee. The housing provided is quite separate to the studio space and the participants reside in four houses/apartments scattered around the small town.

The studio space is a large building (shed like) near the docks located right on the beach where all the artists communally share the space...dividing it up into smaller areas for each to work in...reminding me very much of the studio areas at art school.

The open studio evening was great, I thoroughly enjoyed walking around each artists space and chatting with them about their work.  It was inspiring to see such a diverse group from around the globe, America, UK, South Korea, Australia, Italy and Germany plus to get a little peek in to their artistic practice.  

 

 Hideki's space

 

Hideki chatting to a group of children about serious art business!

 Annika Bastacky

Matthew G Shelley

Unfortunately I was too busy chatting and not taking the time to photograph all the works on show...will try and do a better job at the next one. However the group of artists at this residency for the month of September 2011 were...

Lily Angotty - American

Hideki Arichi - British

Annika Bastacky - American

Ben Borden - American

Joseph Breikers - Australian

David Ertel - American

Mia Hochrein - German

Ingeun Kim - South Korean

Dario Lazzaretto - Italian

Matthew G Shelley - American

Later that evening when I was taking Perla for a walk and gazing up into the northern lights that were putting on quite a show, I realised just how much I missed viewing and chatting about art.  However even though this town is a little isolated I am still only 30-40 minutes away from two wonderful International Art residency programs where I can meet artists from around the world.  So I intend to be a regular visitor at any open days that NES or Bær run in the future.

This is an old pic from Olga's camera last year...my little point and shoot camera will not successfully photograph the  

Aurora Borealis.