Fresh Winds Art Festival 2011, Iceland

Fresh Winds 2011, art festival Garður, Iceland From December 2010 to January 2011, the International Artistic Event Fresh Winds in Gardur will be held for the first time in Iceland. The theme of the Festival is devoted to the aurora borealis, under the artistic direction of Mireya Samper. The landscape surrounding the fishing village of Gardur, made of lava fields and pastures, is open to winds from the Atlantic ocean, from the north, south, and west. This is the ideal place to watch the Northern Lights during the long winter months. Fresh Winds in Gardur is a unique event in the country: dozens of artists from various disciplines and nationalities are invited to Gardur residence to be directly inspired by nature, the region and its people and leave their marks under the shaped creations. During the eight weeks of residence, the artists will share their knowledge and their artistic expertise, in all kind of media and in their own way. The period will be filled with events such as presentations of the artists and their work, concerts, film screenings, performances, panel discussions, etc… These events will be open to the public the whole time. The aim of the festival is to create an environment of art as a new expression and create new bonds of friendship between the Icelandic and foreign artists. In other words, share and learn from each other, work and exhibit together, while being in direct contact with the villagers. This may be through a direct collaboration of artistic creation or by conferences or other forms of teaching or contributions to the life of the local school. The aim of the festival is to address the entire community and invite them to participate. The result of these eight weeks of residence will be visible in the form of exhibitions, installations, concerts, inside and outside at Gardur. The festivities will begin on January 6 on the "party of thirteen" which is a traditional local celebration. The project receives support from the host municipality Gardur, the Icelandic Ministry of Education and Culture, and numerous sponsors. Fresh Winds in Gardur are under the protection of the first lady of Iceland, Dorrit Moussaieff.