Trausti Dagsson is opening an exhibition of photographic works at the Litla Gallerý on Thursday, 27th April. There will be a special opening reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the same day, and everyone is most welcome!

The exhibition 'Svörður' will feature photographs of tiny phenomena in nature, captured with a macro lens and enlarged. The intention is to draw attention to the microscopic yet diverse landscape below.

The exhibition presents strange phenomena; moss bowls, braided cups, mushrooms and more. This is not an attempt to describe nature in an educational way, but rather to bring to light a magical, wondrous world that lurks at our feet, yet which we rarely pay any heed. Nature is presented in an unusual context, prompting reflection on the unique whole that the living world is, where creatures of all shapes and sizes conceal wonders that we as humanity are entirely indebted to and share a large part of our genetic material with – our distant relatives.

The upper landscape is what we see around us: mountains, valleys, headlands and fjords, the landscape that rushes past as we drive across the country. The lower landscape is what passes by beneath us as we walk.

To travel through this lower landscape, to lie on your stomach on a sandbank, in a hollow or on a rock and peer at the details in the moss is a magnificent adventure. Therein lies a veritable wonderland of strange life, with intricate and exotic forms and creatures that are fundamentally made of the same stuff as us, yet so different from us.

Capturing this world is a battle against chaos; the light that flows all around us becomes almost tangible down there. The lens that receives the light focuses on only a tiny membrane at a time; only what is in focus is seen clearly, the rest is a blur ‒ a haze of light and chaos. Unsteady hands struggle to hold the camera, the slightest movement causes the subject to vanish into the mist. This thin veil of clarity reminds us of the light that flows all around us.

Most of the photographs were taken in the vicinity of the capital region, including in Heiðmörk, in Stekkjarhraun by Setberg in Hafnarfjörður, and around Helgafell.

Trausti Dagsson holds a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Iceland and an MA in Applied Folklore from the same institution. He works as a project manager and programmer at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies and has extensive experience in data design and presentation. He has worked on various design and programming projects for clients both at home and abroad, such as the Reykjavík International Film Festival, Leikfélag Akureyrar, and the University of Gothenburg, as well as numerous independent projects. He has taken part in several group exhibitions.

The opening hours are as follows;

Thursday 18:00-20:00

Friday 15:00-18:00

Saturday 12:00-17:00

Sunday 14:00-17:00

The event is sponsored by the Culture and Tourism Committee of the City of Hafnarfjörður.