Creative Summer Jobs – Egill / Live Video Works
Egill Ari Hreiðarsson, a 22-year-old artist from Hafnarfjörður, is working this year as part of the creative summer jobs scheme in Hafnarfjörður on „interactive“ art, where the viewer becomes an active participant in the work. The aim is to take the video medium beyond the traditional screen and transform it into a live installation and performance.
„My name is Egill Ari Hreiðarsson and I am a 22-year-old visual artist from Hafnarfjörður. In 2022, I graduated from the computer science programme at Tækniskólinn, but my interest soon turned increasingly towards visual art. I therefore began a foundation course at the Reykjavík School of Visual Arts, graduating in 2025.“
Combines technology and art
„Last autumn, I then began studying Fine Art at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, where I continue to develop my work and explore new avenues for creativity. My path into visual art has been somewhat unconventional. I utilise my technical background in my work, combining technology and art in my own way. You could say that this is where I found my niche.“
„I mainly work with time-based media, such as video, performance, sound works and installations. I am particularly interested in so-called „video feedback“, where a camera and a screen create a constantly changing visual flow. What fascinates me about this technology is that the viewer gets to be a part of the work. The work doesn't exist unless someone participates and pauses. In my works, I also draw inspiration from everyday life, that little detail we often don't notice. Technology surrounds us every day, for example, the surveillance cameras in a supermarket with a screen that reflects its own image. These everyday moments become the subject matter for the art.“
Transforms the video medium into a live installation and performance
„My project in Creative Summer Jobs is called Living Video Works. The project is based on my interest in interactive art, where the viewer becomes an active participant in the work. The aim is to take the video medium beyond the traditional screen and transform it into a living installation and performance. The work is therefore constantly changing depending on who experiences it and how people move around the space. The work is also, therefore, a commentary on how people approach artworks and how the experience changes when they see themselves in the work.„
„I work with a simple colour palette, allowing the primary colours to take centre stage. Through colour, movement and the space itself, I explore how simple visual elements can create a powerful experience. With this work, I also want to introduce more people to this side of art and show how technology and art can merge in an accessible and vibrant way.“
Directly utilises video footage in art
„On 17 June, I showed the first version of the installation and gave visitors the opportunity to experience the work in its initial form. The experience from that exhibition has been very useful for the project's ongoing development over the summer. The work was divided into three parts, the image was shown on three screens and viewers could press buttons to change the image they were stepping into. These images were a mixture of webcams and recorded footage. Among other things, you could see the Icelandic flag fluttering in the wind, a live feed of what was happening outside the building, and another live feed from a junction in Hafnarfjörður.“
An opportunity to step into the work
„At the final party of the Creative Summer Jobs in Hafnarfjörður, Living Video Works installed as a fully-fledged installation. Here, visitors have the opportunity to step into the work and become a part of it, as the experience is shaped by the presence of each individual.“
We strongly encourage you to follow the progress of the project and the work of this versatile artist. Here on Instagram, as well as attending the closing party on the 6th of August. Everyone is welcome.
About Creative Summer Jobs 2026
In the summer of 2021, the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður, in collaboration with the town's youth centre, Hamarinn, decided to revive the “Creative Summer Jobs” project, which had been run in the summer of 2017. Individuals and groups aged 18-25 were invited to submit ideas for creative projects in Hafnarfjörður. Selected groups were given the opportunity to work on various creative projects in different areas of the arts, which would also liven up the town's social life and delight tourists and residents in one way or another. The staff of the Creative Summer Jobs, run as part of the Hafnarfjörður Work School, are tasked with bringing the town to life, making it more fun, beautiful and diverse with artistic and creative events. The projects are varied and appeal to different age groups and interests.
This year, there are nine diverse projects operating as part of the Creative Summer Jobs scheme, and they will be presented weekly throughout the summer.