Sigur Rós Frontman Jónsi Opens New Exhibition In Hobart

Sigur Rós vocalist and solo artist Jónsi has announced that he’s unveiling a brand-new exhibit at Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) entitled Hrafntinna, which translates in English to Obsidian.

Obsidian is an interactive event meant to simulate what a volcano would look like, acquired by Mona in 2022 after the exhibit was showcased in New York and Canada.

Jónsi has called the exhibit “primal” and aims to showcase an experience that “goes straight up the arse to rattle your bones” in a new interview with The Guardian.

According to The Guardian’s Steph Harmon, Obsidian was described as follows:

In near-pitch blackness, you sit on a circular platform surrounded by a 25-minute track, spatially arranged in 360-degree sound: field recordings of heady eruptions move into sombre choral arrangements of his layered vocals... and above is a circle of pulsing light, reminiscent of a James Turrell Skyspace or the mouth of a volcano. Subwoofers encased within the platform rumble and judder with the bass of an eruption, and [Jónsi] Birgisson sings as if just for you.

Obsidian is now at Mona until Monday, 1 April 2024.

The Mona website details the fear Jónsi felt while he was stuck in America as his home country, Iceland, was struck by the eruption of the volcano Fagradalsfjall for the first time in almost 800 years. After laying dormant for so long, Fagradalsfjall erupted on 19 March 2021.

“These new compositions conjure a blasted landscape alive with volcanic energy—a real flex of his considerable talents,” the Mona description for Obsidian reads. “Rocks grind. Lava hisses. And a new four-part choral hymn draws inspiration from Icelandic choirs.

“Now at Mona, Jónsi places us inside Fagradalsfjall. You may feel yourself surrounded by his private wrenching sense of dislocation from home, externalised through sound and smell, even bodily vibration.” You can find more information about Obsidian on the Mona website.

In June, Sigur Rós released their first new album in a decade, ÁTTA.

ÁTTA was recorded on multiple continents – from London’s iconic Abbey Road Studio and numerous studios in the US to the band’s Sundlaugin studio in Iceland.

Jónsi explained that the band were “just wanting to have minimal drums and for the music to be really sparse, floaty and beautiful. We’re getting older and more cynical so I just wanted to move us so that we felt something!”

ÁTTA is out now.

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