An island in Ölfus: new exhibition in Reykjavík Museum of Photography
An Island in Ölfus is the title of a new exhibition with photos by Valdimar Thorlacius. The
title refers to a town in southern Iceland which lies in an active geothermal area. The town is
also the photographer‘s home town, so it has a special meaning for him as a subject.
Hot water wells up from the earth in a constant flow in the middle of the town. It may flow
calmly for a while, predictably even, until it gushes forward forceful, loud and unpredictable.
The landscape is interesting, characterized by colourful rock formations, sulphur, deposits,
hovering clouds of steam and mysterious holes in the ground.
Hveragerði owes its existence to geothermal heat. A handful of pioneers saw the opportunities
this resource presented, and thankfully had both the brains and diligence to make something
out of them. The people who live here today may not have the energy in the midst in their
everyday thoughts, however it is part of their lives for better and for worse.
In his work, Valdimar Thorlacius explores the town of Hveragerði and its people, among the
hot springs, clouds of steam and greenhouses.
Valdimar Thorlacius graduated from the School of Photography in Reykjavík in 2014. That
same year he was awarded a grant from the Magnús Ólafsson Memorial Fund, and published
a photography book. In 2015 he participated in the group exhibition Warsaw Festival of Art
Photography at Galeria Obok ZPAF in Warsaw, Poland and had a solo exhibition in the
National Museum of Iceland.
