STEINUNN THÓRARINSDÓTTIR ‘ENCOUNTERS WITH ICELAND’
STEINUNN THÓRARINSDÓTTIR
‘ E N C O U N T E R S WITH I C E L A N D ’ JUNE - OCTOBER 2014
WEST KELOWNA
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BRITISH COLUMBIA
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CANADA
A N T H O N Y, D E B R A & A N T H O N Y S E B A S T I A N V O N M A N D L Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
We first encountered and were inspired by the works of artist Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir during a visit to Iceland the summer of 2013. On meeting Steinunn and becoming even more familiar with her work, Debra and I immediately pictured her powerful sculptures on the grounds of Mission Hill Family Estate, overlooking the stunning Okanagan Lake and Valley. The current exhibition presents an expansive collection of her work, covering the years 1999 to 2014, referencing themes of spirituality, introspection and physicality in new and surprising ways. Steinunn uses the human figure to evoke the sublime tied to both our sense of being in the world and our identity within it. The space they occupy is as important as the objects themselves. Mission Hill Family Estate, with the backdrop of Tom Kundig’s extraordinary architecture, provide an amazing location to showcase these magnificent works of art. The dynamic sculptures are on show throughout the winery grounds as well as in interior spaces, including the cellar. Steinunn traveled to the winery to personally place each piece in their most ideal setting. As you visit ‘Encounters with Iceland,’ we invite you to walk among the sculptures, both as an active participant and a reflective observer. Their quiet mysticism is moving while their raw sensuality inspires and awes. Like Iceland, the sculptures possess a rugged beauty and the strength of an authentic northern spirit. The exhibition at Mission Hill follows shows at the Frauen Museum in Bonn, Germany, Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza near the United Nations Headquarters in New York City and Solti Garden in Chicago’s Grant Park, among others. Her work permanently resides in prominent public and private collections worldwide including The Collection of Carl XVI Gustav, the King of Sweden, the Copenhagen State Hospital, The Danish Banker´s Association, the Estate of Sir Rocco and Lady Forte in England, the City of Hull in England, the University of Aberdeen and at Cawdor Castle in Scotland, the Elgiz Museum in Istanbul and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, to name a few. COVER IMAGE & THIS PAGE
ENCOUNTER.FUNDUR.2011 Icelandic Natural Basalt Column and Cast Iron. Unique. Cast in Iceland.
Debra and I are thrilled to now showcase these important works alongside our wines and vineyards as a celebration of the natural beauty of the Okanagan Valley. We welcome visitors from around the world to Mission Hill Family Estate to experience ‘Encounters with Iceland.’
98.5 x 20 x 20 inches (250 x 51 x 51cm)
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G AT E . H L I Ă? . 2 0 0 6 Cast Iron and Glass. Edition no. 5 of 7. Cast in Iceland. 15 x 14 x 15 inches (38 x 35 x 38 cm)
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G AT E . H L I Ð . 2 0 0 3 Cast Iron and Glass. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 69 x 20 x 20 inches (175 x 51 x 51 cm)
ILLUGI GUNNARSSON
Minister for Education, Science and Culture Acclaimed artist, Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir, achieved international success utilizing the contrasts, culture, and modernism of Iceland in her art. Her work, on exhibit throughout the world, now finds a home at Mission Hill Family Estate in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Thórarinsdóttir makes an outstanding contribution to the country of Iceland through her art. Through her endeavors, she brings great recognition to our country. In 2009, she received Iceland’s highest distinction, the Order of the Falcon, for her contributions to the visual arts in Iceland and abroad. With all her international success, she never forgets her deep Icelandic roots and continues her tremendous involvement with the arts and cultural organizations in communities throughout the country. We are proud to present her work at The National Gallery of Iceland and thrilled Canadians now have the opportunity to experience an impressive collection of her sculptures through the aptly titled exhibition, ‘Encounters with Iceland,’ taking place June through October 2014 at Mission Hill Family Estate. Please accept our best wishes for a successful exhibition!
REKYJAVIK, ICELAND June, 2014
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P L A C E . S TA Ă? U R . 2 0 0 6 Aluminum. Edition no. 7 of 7. Cast in Iceland. 51 X 14 X 14 inches (130 X 35.5 X 35.5cm)
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P O S I T I O N 2 . A F S TA Ð A 2 . 2 0 0 5 Aluminum and Stainless Steel. Edition no. 5 of 7.Cast in Iceland. 29 x 18 x 18 inches (74 x 46 x 46cm)
D I S TA N C E . F J A R L Æ G Ð . 2 0 0 8 Cast Iron. Edition no. 3 of 7. Cast in Iceland. 8 x 16 x 12 inches (20 x 41 x 30 cm)
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M O V E M E N T. H R E Y F I N G . 2 0 1 0 Cast Iron and Corten Steel. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 70 x 26 x 26 inches (178 x 66 x 66cm)
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ECHO 2.BERGMĂ L 2.2011 Aluminum and Cast Iron. Unique. 2 life size figures. Dimensions Variable. Cast in Iceland.
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P O I N T S . P U N K TA R . 2 0 1 4
MIRROR.SPEGILL.2011
Cast iron and glass. Edition no 1 of 7. Cast in Lithuania.
Aluminum and stainless steel. Edition no. 5 of 7. Cast in Iceland.
16 x 14 x 12 inches (41 x 36 x 30cm)
16 x 11 x 11 inches (41 x 28 x 28cm)
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D U E T. D Ăš E T T . 2 0 0 7
J O U R N E Y. F E R Ă? A L A G . 2 0 0 7
Aluminum. Unique. Cast in Iceland.
Aluminum. Edition of 5. Life Size. Cast in Iceland.
Dimensions variable. 43 x 39 x 18 inches (109 x 99 x 46cm)
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T R AV E L L E R S . F E R Ă? A L A N G A R . 2 0 1 0 Aluminum. Unique. Cast in Iceland.
20 x 39 x 24 inches (51 x 99 x 61cm)
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OBJECT 1 & 2.HLUTUR 1 & 2.2014 Cast Iron and Aluminum. Unique. Cast in Lithuania. 59 X 98 X 55 inches (150 x 249 x 140 cm)
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TRACE.VOTTUR.2012 Cast Iron and Glass. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 72 x 31 x 14 inches (183 x 79 x 35 cm)
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MOMENT 2.AUGNABLIK 2.2009 Aluminum. Edition no. 3 of 5. Life Size. Cast in Iceland.
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MOMENT 1.AUGNABLIK 1.2009 Aluminum. Edition no. 3 of 5. Life Size. Cast in Iceland.
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ECHO 1.BERGMĂ L 1.2006 Cast Iron and Aluminum. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 2 Life Size Figures. Dimensions Variable.
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V I C I N I T Y. N Á L Æ G Ð . 2 0 1 1 Cast Iron and Glass. Edition no. 4 of 7. Cast in Iceland. 15 x 14 x 14 inches (38 x 35 x 35 cm)
RICOCHET 2.ENDURKAST 2.2013 Aluminum and Cast Iron. Edition no. 1 of 7. Cast in Lithuania. 29 x 4 x 2 inches (74 x 10 x 5 cm)
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VISION 1.SJĂ“N 1.2006 Aluminum and Stainless Steel. Edition no. 7 of 7. Cast in Iceland. 16 x 11 x 11 inches (41 x 28 x 28cm)
NICHE.HORN.2011 Aluminum and Stainless Steel. Unique. Cast in Lithuania. 9 x 16 x 5 inches (23 x 41 x 13 cm)
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FLICKER.BLIK.2013 Slumped glass. Unique. Dimensions Variable. Cast in the artists’s studio in Iceland.
C U R TA I N 2 . T J Ö L D 2 . 2 0 1 3 Aluminum. Unique. Cast in Lithuania.
72 x 20 x 14 inches (183 X 51 X 36 cm)
L I G H T W E I G H T. F I S . 2 0 1 3 Slumped Glass. Unique. Dimensions Variable. Cast in the artist’s studio in Iceland.
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R O TAT I O N . S N Ăš N I N G U R . 2 0 1 3 Cast Iron and Corten Steel. Unique. Cast in Lithuania. 73 x 43 x 24 inches (185 x 109 x 61 cm)
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TIDE.FLÓÐ.2012 Cast Iron and Glass. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 72 x 31 x 14 inches (183 x 79 x 36 cm)
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S I T U AT I O N 2 . A Ð S T Æ Ð U R 2 . 2 0 0 5 Aluminum and Stainless Steel. Edition no. 5 of 7. Cast in Iceland.
15 x 12 x 12 inches (38 x 30 x 30 cm)
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P O S I T I O N 1 . A F S TA Ð A 1 . 2 0 0 5 Aluminum. Edition no. 7 of 7. Cast in Iceland. 16 x 12 x 8 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm)
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BROTHERHOOD.BRÆÐRALAG.2008 Cast Iron and Corten Steel. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 18 x 27 x 14 inches (46 x 69 x 36 cm)
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LINKS.KEÐJA.1999 Cast Iron. Cast in Iceland.
39 x 39 x 8 inches (99 x 99 x 20 cm)
RENDEZ-VOUS.STEFNUMÓT.2002 Cast iron. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 23 x 40 x 9 inches (58 x 102 x 23 cm)
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S H A D O W. S K U G G I . 2 0 0 9 Anodized Aluminum and Glass. Edition no. 5 of 7. Cast in Iceland. 15 x 14 x 14 inches (38 x 35 x 35 cm)
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EQUILIBRIUM.JAFNVÆGI.2002 Anodized Aluminum and Iron Bar. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 27 x 43 x 4 inches (69 x 109 x 10 cm)
HIGHER.HÆRRA.2001 Cast Iron. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 39 x 20 x 4 inches (99 x 51 x 10 cm)
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CENTRE 1.MIĂ?JA 1.2012 Cast Iron and Glass. Unique. Cast in Iceland. 72 x 20 x 14 inches (183 x 51 x 35 cm)
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SOURCE.BRUNNUR.2014 Cast Iron. Edition no. 1 of 7. Cast in Lithuania. 15 x 15 x 12 inches (38 x 38 x 30 cm)
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MORNING 1.MORGUNN 1.2006 Solid Bronze. Edition of 7. Cast in Iceland. 14 x 7 x 8 inches (35 x 18 x 20 cm)
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MORNING 2.MORGUNN 2.2006 Solid Bronze. Edition of 7. Cast in Iceland. 11 x 8 x 7 inches (28 x 20 x 18 cm)
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P U R S U I T. E F T I R F Ă– R . 2 0 1 3 Aluminum and Natural Icelandic Basalt Column. Unique. Cast in Lithuania. 86 x 20 x 20 inches (218 x 51 x 51 cm)
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STEINUNN THÓRARINSDÓTTIR Sculptor
Born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1955, Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir received her training as a sculptor in England and Italy. Steinunn’s professional career spans 35 years. She exhibits widely with solo and group shows in countries including Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, the United States and Canada. Steinunn´s work permanently recides in prominent public and private collections worldwide including the National Gallery of Iceland, the City of Reykjavík, The Collection of Carl XVI Gustav, the King of Sweden, the Copenhagen State Hospital, The Danish Banker´s Association, the Estate of Sir Rocco and Lady Forte in England, the City of Hull in England, the University of Aberdeen and at Cawdor Castle in Scotland, the Elgiz Museum in Istanbul and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. In 2011, Steinunn´s twenty-six-piece public art installation, ‘Borders,’ exhibited at The Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza by the United Nations Headquarters and is currently on display in Chicago´s Grant Park through October 19, 2014. ‘Horizons’ has been traveling throughout the United States since 2007, most recently showing at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama. Award-winning American documentary filmmaker, Frank Cantor, created the film ‘Horizons: The Art of Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir’ to bring us inside her creative process through observing her at work in her studio and foundry in Reykjavik through to the first installation of her sculpture at The Katanah Museum in New York City. As a guest speaker and lecturer, Steinunn engagements include The Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, the Sydney Art School, The Cleveland Art Institute, The Cleveland State University, The Goethe Institute in Toronto, The Sculpture Society of Canada, Concordia University, Governor´s State University, Illinois, Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania, the Georgia Museum of Art and the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama. Steinunn enjoys numerous awards, among them the prestigious Order of the Falcon, granted in 2009 by the President of Iceland for her contribution to the visual arts in Iceland and abroad. Her works have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, Sculpture Magazine, The Sunday Telegraph in Australia, The Seattle Times, The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times and many more publications.
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FLOW 1a & 2. FLÆÐI 1 & 2.2013 Cast Iron and Aluminum. Unique. Cast in Lithuania. 51 x 20 x 32 inches (129 x 51 x 81 cm)
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M I S S I O N H I L L FA M I LY E S TAT E W I N E R Y
ANTHONY VON MANDL, O.B.C.
F o u n d e r, v o n M a n d l F a m i l y E s t a t e s
West Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Mission Hill Family Estate, located in the heart of British Columbia’s pristine Okanagan Valley, offers visitors an exceptional, authentic experience in an exclusive setting of unparalleled natural beauty and extraordinary architecture. Established in 1981 by Proprietor Anthony von Mandl, O.B.C., the family-owned winery is known for its exemplary vineyard estates and award-winning wines. The unique combination of glacial lakes, a high desert climate and terroir of the Okanagan Valley brings an intensity of flavour and bouquet to the wines. Conceived and built to endure for centuries, the dramatic architecture of the winery by acclaimed architect Tom Kundig, creates an ideal environment for the celebratoin of fine wine, food and the arts.A sophisticated portfolio perfectly suits fresh locally grown cuisine served at the winery’s internationally award-winning Terrace Restaurant named “one of the top five winery restaurants in the world,” by Travel + Leisure Magazine. Called “the gold standard of wineries” by Condé Nast Traveler, the winery offers cultural programs through the summer concert series, ongoing culinary programs and international art exhibitions. Sustainable practices in the vineyards and operations of the winery ensure a strong future. Visitors find a tranquil retreat from the hurried pace of daily life and the surprise of an exceptional environment in which to be immersed in the experience of fine wine. “Making great wines and providing a special place where people can enjoy them has been our dream and our life’s work.”
ANTHONY VON MANDL, O.B.C.
Born in Vancouver and educated in Europe, wine and culture have always played an important role in Anthony von Mandl’s family life. At the age of twenty-two, full of passion but with few resources, he set out to fulfill a dream to produce world caliber wines in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia by first successfully establishing Canada’s first wine merchant, Mark Anthony Wine Merchants. In 1981, the journey toward realizing his dream came when he had the opportunity to purchase one of the five wineries in the region. Anthony believed that this pristine narrow valley, lying at the northernmost end of the Sonora Desert and along a series of lakes, could produce wines that were unique, that were distinctive and could stand next to the best in the world. The first moment he knew his dream had legs was when the winery won the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London in 1994 for Best Chardonnay Worldwide, placing the Okanagan Valley on the international wine map for the first time and laying the foundation for the growth of Mission Hill Family Estate. Success followed as he continuously built on the past to improve the future. Numerous awards include three years as Canadian Winery of the Year, most recently in 2013. In 2005, in recognition of Anthony’s realization of his dream to put the wine region on the world stage, he received the Province’s highest distinction, the Order of British Columbia. In 2006, the honour of President of the International Wine & Spirit Competition placed him alongside Baronesss Philippine de Rothschild, Robert Mondavi, the Marchese Piero Antinori, the Marchese Leonardo de’ Frescobaldi and other icons of the world’s wine elite. He continues to act as a Vice-President within the organization. The von Mandl Family Estates (VMF Estates) and vineyards now include Mission Hill Family Estate, CedarCreek Estate Winery, CheckMate Artisinal Winery and Martin’s Lane. In September 2013, VMF Estates Martin’s Lane won the Trophy for World’s Best Pinot Noir in London at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards competition. In March 2014, Martin’s Lane Riesling was the only wine served at a reception in honour of Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace. Anthony’s understanding from the beginning was that “if you’re going to build something, then it truly needs to be the best it can possibly be.” The continuing fruition of this belief can be seen in the architecture of each winery, in his intense passion for meeting the challenges of sustainable agriculture in the vineyards, his nurturing of the cultural heritage of VMF Estates through the support of artistic programs and scientific research and his desire to share knowledge and create a strong foundation for future generations. Anthony is married to Dr. Debra Gibson von Mandl and they have a 6-year old son, Anthony Sebastian.
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“My works explore the human condition in all its variety and how man relates to the environment and to each other. The figures are mostly life size and the atmosphere is reflective and meditative. They are androgynous symbols of mankind. They have an amorphous and a deliberately anonymous quality. Despite their seeming anonymity the works are based on my older son´s body which brings them closer to me as a family. I use a lot of different materials such as cast iron, aluminum, concrete, bronze, plaster, lead and glass. The material is carefully chosen to support the idea each time. Often a dialogue between the viewer and the work is formed with a tactile and personal interaction as the figures occupy the same space as we do. The works emphasize a common imagination despite being introverted at first glance. They portray frozen moments of discovery and contemplation and possess a generosity of spirit that defies the often harsh materials used and the neutral character. The aim is to leave a lot to the imagination and experience of the viewer, hence the emphasis on anonymity and androgyny. Each piece is firmly rooted in my Icelandic origin, reflecting the power and proximity of the elements.” STEINUNN THÓRARINSDÓTTIR
“What immediately struck me about Steinunn’s sculptures is her art promotes self-reflection and connectivity to nature through their quiet intrusion into our everyday lives. The sculptures are arranged throughout the winery grounds, and most striking are the pairs of forms, some cast in aluminum and others in iron, that mirror each other in silent conversation. The difference of materials provides a striking visual contrast, highlighting the forms as both familiar and distant, all surrounded by the magnificent architecture of the winery. We hope Steinunn’s work resonates with visitors as she plays with the notion of self-reflection and connectivity between people and nature. We believe this same connection speaks very well to what we are trying to accomplish as winemakers. The parallels are undeniable.” ANTHONY VON MANDL SCULPTURE PHOTOGRAPHY & VON MANDL FAMILY PORTRAIT BY JAMES O’MARA PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT OLAFUR RAGNAR GRIMSSON IN PUBLIC DOMAIN ARTIST PORTRAIT BY KRISTINN MAGNUSSON BOOK DESIGN BY O’MARA MCBRIDE (PLEASE NOTE, SCULPTURE SIZES INDICATED ARE APPROXIMATE)a
M I S S I O N H I L L FA M I LY E S TAT E 1730 Mission Hill Road West Kelowna, Okanagan Valley British Columbia, Canada, V4T 2E4 Tours & Reservations +1 250 768 6483 tours@missionhillwinery.com www.missionhillwinery.com 64
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