The exhibition emerges from a need to find magic in a world that, in many ways, seems devoid of enchantment—at a time lacking bright hope. It stems from a longing for the supernatural in an era where everything seems to demand definition. The exhibition’s title arises from the idea of magic as a collective healing force and a vision of a better world—something some might call idealistic or unrealistic. Yet nothing is so far-fetched that we cannot dream of it. This magic carries a quality of care—often unnoticed in everyday life—yet it defines the reality we live in in ways that cannot easily be put into words. It is a feeling filled with unrestrained love and endless possibilities.
This unknown tenderness is always present, even if it does not feel strong when times are difficult. The participating artists each confront this tenderness in their own way. There is magic in allowing things to be what they are without the need to grasp or define them. Artworks can be sentimental and sharp at the same time, just as they can capture contradictions that, at first glance, seem to exclude one another—where one must dominate—but are, in the end, undeniably intertwined, such as pain and emotional growth, trauma and healing, joy and sorrow.
What happens when we think of these concepts as parallel elements in multiplicity rather than opposites in duality? This exhibition invites us to discover something about ourselves, each other, and our planet—just as the curator and artists have emphasized in their collaboration—through open dialogue and shared exploration, where healing, inner alchemy, motherhood, and the creation of a witches’ assembly serve as guiding markers toward new understanding.
Participating Artists:
• Björg Þorsteinsdóttir (1940–2019, Iceland)
• Sigríður Björnsdóttir (1929, Iceland)
• Suzanne Treister (1958, UK)
• Tabita Rezaire (1989, France)
• Kate McMillan (1974, UK)
• Hildur Hákonardóttir (1938, Iceland)
• Ra Tack (1988, Belgium)
• Kristín Morthens (1992, Iceland)
• Tinna Guðmundsdóttir (1979, Iceland)
• Elsa Jónsdóttir (1990, Iceland)
• Juliana Irene Smith (1977, USA/Finland)
• Kata Jóhanness (1994, Iceland)
• Patty Spyrakos (1974, USA)
• Edda Karólína (1991, Iceland)
Curated by Þórhildur Tinna Sigurðardóttir, this exhibition was originally Hafnarborg’s autumn exhibition in 2024 and now opens at Sláturhúsið in a slightly adapted form. Accompanying the exhibition is a comprehensive catalog featuring texts by the curator, illustrations by Edda Karólína, and a newly published essay by Hildur Hákonardóttir.
