5.2.-15.2. Sölvi Steinn Þórhallsson: A (small) notation on Landscape

A (small) notation on Landscape opens in Asbestos Art Space on the 5th of February 2026. In the exhibition Sölvi Steinn Þórhallsson shows new works that have in common to deal with motion and a transformation of matter in one way or another, shaping themselves or their surroundings, initiating a change in the landscape.

Opening event: 5th of February 17:00–20:00.

Opening hours: Wed–Sun 12:00–18:00. Everyone is welcome!

Sölvi Steinn Þórhallsson (b. 1996, Reykjavík) is an artist from Iceland who lives and works in Helsinki,where he is currently attending his MA studies in the Academy of Fine Arts. He has held solo shows and duo exhibitions at several galleries and project spaces, as well as participating in group exhibitions, both in Iceland and abroad. In addition, Sölvi has been a member of the artist-run space Kling & Bang in Reykjavík since October 2020 as well as a board member of Sequences Art Festival since 2025.

In his works, Sölvi revolves around the wonder of things and moments, and draws inspiration from the forces,tensions, and causes of them. A sort of homage to those moments that captivate, surprise, and evoke joy and sorrow. In the beginning of spring a wooden box, which is hollow underneath, is placed on a field of grass. By the end of spring the box is removed, revealing a square metre of tall, light green grass, surrounded by a mass of shorter and darker grass.

The following texts are written by Kaja Haven & Teemu Ruissalo, respectively, in response to the one above.

There is a lot of grass, boxes and square meters of text on my small screen. I had to read the first sentencetwice to get a hold of this important, specific placement with grass, field, hollow and wooden - box. Thehollow under the box is strangely odd, it makes the box, and the sentence, quite complicated actually, bothvisually and mentally. Also, windy perhaps, that also explains the confused mind, that makes the openness suitable for imagined events like, perhaps, starting a fire under it or catching a very flat rabbit.

I can totally picture having a barbecue over this text box or actual box, or to put all of this piece of text onfire, but then, sadly, or not sad at all, by the end of spring, which could mean perhaps an actual spring or perhaps a more romantic, nostalgic association to when something is «over», the box, the fire, the spring x, the words or thought or reading, then suddenly reveals, that, there is a square meter of tall, - alright,light green grass, which perhaps means that the grass has grown quite a lot during spring x, is now lightgreen - which could mean - new, aspiring, or, that it has been growing behind a shadow of e.g. the box allthe time and has become pale.

The box or the grass, or both, I am uncertain, is surrounded by this mass of shorter and darker grass,which means, or could point out, that the grass has grown faster around that box than the shorter grass,but the shorter grass has become more massive, and darker, possibly due to y factors such as maintenance,fertilizer, cutting, use - e.g. the actual mind running over it while re-reading it a few times - and rain. Nofire on the short grass, which makes it odd with reversed logic that the fired grass is long and tall, butperhaps, all the fire has been on the short field and nothing inside the hollowness. I googled “box”,unconsciously.”

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An object of heuristic motifs that requires usage from all sides of this object's being, for practical andlogistical reasons. For example, a hand-held eraser for pencil markings that is used systematically fromdiferent sides to maintain a good grip and fair wear.

A sharp object is attached to the left side of a person. Underneath the sharp object, a hessian bag that is open, is attached to the side of the person's foot. This person walks alongside a plaster wall with theobject scraping dust and bits that fall into the hessian bag.

In a public place, a table is left uncleaned after a messy meal. An observer stands near the table tocalculate the time for someone to ‘take the reins’ to clean the table in an altruistic manner. Naturally, theuse of the table is not prohibited even when messy.

An identical copy of a book's dust jacket is painted and applied to a block of wood. This newly crafted object is placed next to a library's copy of the same book.

A mixture of strong coffee, hot water, and several chamomile tea bags is ofered to the opening guests.

A close-up video or an image is produced with foreground obstruction of a person smoking. The smokedsubstance or product is left behind the foreground to develop a mystery of recreation