From March until June, the Museum of Modern Art puts on display an exhibition dedicated to the (most) famous Icelander – the composer, musician and singer Björk. The exhibition draws from more than 20 years of the artist’s daring and innovative projects and her eight full-length albums to chronicle her career through sound, film, visuals, instruments, objects, and costumes. Spread out throughout the museum’s building, the exhibition provides a visual as well as acoustic immersion into the work of this great artist. Starting from the lobby, instruments used on Biophilia (2011) — a gameleste, pipe organ, gravity harp, and Tesla coil — play songs from the album at different points throughout the day. On the second floor, two spaces have been constructed: one is dedicated to a new sound and video installation, commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, for “Black Lake”, a song from Björk’s new album Vulnicura; and the second is a cinema room that screens a retrospective in music videos, from Debut (1993) to Biophilia. On the third floor, Songlines presents an interactive, location-based audio experience through Björk’s albums, with a biographical narrative that is both personal and poetic, written by the acclaimed Icelandic writer Sjón, along with many visuals, objects, and costumes for a complete and comprehensive outline of the musician’s career.
