Artist Unnur Stella Níelsdóttir invites the public to take part in a live artwork in downtown Akureyri during Akureyrarvaka.

Treasures is a participatory contemporary art project in which Unnur Stella will paint one large artwork on site throughout the day. Visitors are invited to stop by, watch the painting develop, and share the story of their personal treasure.

Visitors will be asked: “What is your treasure?”

The treasure must be an object, but it does not have to be valuable in a monetary sense. It could be a shell you found on the beach, a flower you have a special connection to, an old cup, a photograph, or something you have kept in a cupboard or drawer and treasured for many years.

Unnur Stella will be the sole person painting the artwork, but she will interpret the ideas and stories shared by participants directly into the painting. In this way, people’s stories and treasures become part of one large collective artwork, shaped through conversations with the people of Akureyri and created in front of festival visitors.

The artwork will be painted at Kaffistofan in downtown Akureyri, and people are welcome to come and go as they please. Participation can be as simple as having a short conversation and sharing a treasure, or simply watching the artwork evolve throughout the day.

After Akureyrarvaka, the artwork will be exhibited at Terían Brasserie for a period of time, where it will continue to live as a collective artwork of the people of Akureyri and a visual collection of the stories, memories and treasures that became part of its creation.

Everyone is welcome!

The project is supported by Listasumar Akureyri.