By Aðalheiður Halldórsdóttir in a collaboration with Jónsi

remind me, nature, of the nature within me

Flodreka is a new work born from an exciting collaboration between choreographer Aðalheiður Halldórsdóttir, multi-disciplinary artist and musician Jónsi (Sigur Rós), and the Iceland Dance Company.

Inspired by Jónsi’s renowned exhibition Flóð—shown at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle and later at Reykjavík Art Museum. Flodreka brings together sound, movement, scent and immersive visual design in a sensory-rich exploration of our relationship to nature and to each other.

Jónsi is known globally for his emotionally resonant, atmospheric soundscapes and while his work focuses on the raw and often overwhelming power of nature, Aðalheiður brings the human dimension into the equation: vulnerability, resilience, and the instinct to seek meaning and connection even in the face of chaos.

Together, they craft a work that questions our desire to control the uncontrollable. In our effort to rationalize the world, we often forget that the forces we attempt to master, move through us as much as around us.

“The beauty and absurd fragility of the human condition- endlessly tangled in itself and in each other, chasing meaning, inventing importance, forgetting that nature's forces and rhythms are the ones pulsing in their chests.”

Aðalheiður Halldórsdóttir

Aðalheiður Halldórsdóttir studied dance at the Icelandic Ballet School, Tanz Akademie Köln in Germany, choreography at ArtEz University of the Arts in Arnhem, the Netherlands, and later literature and creative writing at the University of Iceland.

Aðalheiður was a full-time dancer with the Iceland Dance Company for about 16 years and, in that role, took part in the creation of around 50 stage works, both large and small, within the Reykjavík City Theatre—many of which toured internationally. She has also danced, sung, and acted in productions of the Icelandic Opera, the Reykjavík City Theatre, and numerous works within the independent dance scene.

As a creator, Aðalheiður has choreographed for the Iceland Dance Company, the Reykjavík Dance Festival, and Ég býð mig fram (“I Volunteer”), directed stage movement in productions at the Reykjavík City Theatre, worked on music videos and short films, and staged events within the music scene—most notably with the musician Bríet. In addition, she has held positions as both assistant director and director.

Aðalheiður has been part of several artistic collectives, including Vaðall with Valgerður Rúnarsdóttir and Darri Lorenzen, the artist choir Kliður, Die to meet you with Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, and in recent years has taken part in performative events by Anne Carson and Robert Currie, both in Iceland and abroad. Alongside this, she has pursued writing, publishing among other works the poetry collection Taugatrjágróður (“Nerve Tree Growth”) with the publisher Bjartur & Veröld.

Aðalheiður has received numerous Gríman Award nominations and prizes for her work as a dancer, actress, choreographer, and stage movement director.

Jónsi

Since the 1990s, interdisciplinary artist Jónsi has created ethereal soundscapes blending minimal, classical, and progressive styles. He first gained international acclaim as lead vocalist of Sigur Rós, whose experimental rock has been described as sublime. As a solo artist, Jónsi has released three albums and collaborated with Elizabeth Fraser, Robyn, and Alex Somers. Known for his bowed guitar technique and singular voice, he continues to expand musical boundaries.

Beyond music, Jónsi has worked with leading figures such as Doug Aitken, Cameron Crowe, Merce Cunningham, and Olafur Eliasson, earning awards and critical recognition. Since formally entering the visual art scene in 2018, he has had solo shows at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Los Angeles and New York, as well as at MONA, the National Nordic Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Reykjavík Art Museum, the SCAD Museum of Art, and Kunstsilo.

Since 2009, Jónsi has also pursued perfumery, co-founding Fischersund in Reykjavík with his sisters. Their work—ranging from scents to “scented concerts”—is deeply integrated into his art practice.

Born in Iceland in 1975, Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson now lives and works in Los Angeles.

Choreographer:
Aðalheiður Halldórsdóttir

Music and Sound:
Jón Þór Birgisson (Jónsi)

Dancers:
Andrean Sigurgeirsson, Brian Gerke, Elín Signý Ragnarsdóttir, Emilía Benedikta Gísladóttir, Erna Gunnarsdóttir, Eydís Rose Vilmundardóttir, Shota Inoue & Una Björg Bjarnadóttir

Special thanks to Sunneva Líf Albertsdóttir