RURÍ

And now what? features a newly-commissioned work titled Forest, created from the ash and other burned remains of trees from several forests in Santo Tirso (Monte Córdova, Santa Cristina do Couto and São Miguel do Couto) that were destroyed in the 2022 forest fires – a work that in its installation within the Corridor as well as in accompanying photo documentation underscores the impact of climate crisis and rising temperature on local ecosystems.

Both the work Future Cartography XIII and the work Water Balance IV, which has been created in collaboration with the museum and the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto will enter the Museum’s collection as a gift from the artist.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully-illustrated catalogue, with an essay by exhibition curator Álvaro Moreira on the new work, Forest, as well as a biographical essay by art historian Pari Stave, director of the Skaftfell Art Center in Iceland. The 128 page book is published by Santo Tirso Municipal Council, with support from the Icelandic Art Center.

Rúrí was born in 1951, in Reykjavík, where she presently lives and works. She attended the Icelandic School of Arts and Crafts from 1971-74 and, later studied contemporary art theory and practice. From 1976-78 she attended the De Vrije Academie Psychopolis, in The Hague. As an art student in Iceland she firmly established her reputation as an activist performance artist with two groundbreaking performances in Reykjavik in 1974: Golden Car, and How to Change the Icelandic Costume to Meet with Modern Icelandic Society. She was also a founding member of several artist-run collectives, including Galerie Lóa, in Haarlem (1976), and the Living Art Museum (Nýlistasafnið), Reykjavík (1978).

She has had numerous solo exhibitions, including representing Iceland in the 50th Venice Biennale, in 2003, with the work Archive – Endangered Waters. Her work is included in many museum collections, including Reykjavík Art Museum, National Gallery of Iceland, The Living Art Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Lafuente Archive, Art Center Hugo Voeten.