Nordic arts festival in Rome

On Sunday, 10 February, the Nordic arts festival Equilibrio Aurora Boreale a Roma was inaugurated at Palau della Música in Rome.

The festival was presented at a joint conference of all the Nordic ambassadors to Italy last week.

Iceland is represented at the festival with a piece by choreographer Margrét Sara Guðjónsdóttir whose ethereal dance performances can raise strong emotions through her use of performative body language. She will be working with the acclaimed Accademia Nazionale di Danza, bringing the talents of our two countries together in the performing arts.

Another representative of Iceland is Þuríður Jónsdóttir, a classical and modern composer whose works are acclaimed not only in Iceland but beyond. She received a diploma in flute, composition and electronic music from the Conservatory of Music in Bologna. In her work she brings together different elements whose strong musical contrast evoke our feelings, perhaps in a similar way as the everchanging and contrasting Icelandic landscape back home.

Iceland is also represented at this festival through the works of Danish sound artist Jacob Kirkegaard and his work Eldfjall. Eldfjall, which means volcano, was realized in Iceland and is created from natural sounds recorded in Iceland, sometimes otherworldly and eerie and remind us of the powers of nature. Along with his piece Eldfjall, there will be a display of Kirkegaards beautiful photographs taken during his time in Iceland.