Documentation by An Paenhuysen
A Record of the In-Betweens
Dr. An Paenhuysen from The House of the Deadly Doris took on the task of documenting the in-between, the moments of nothing in particular, and yet of such importance. Those are moments filled with lived experiences, conversations, observations—a collective thought tank that gives the counter-moments value. Some of the sketches are drawn in the close surroundings of the Nordic House, others extend to visits slightly further away—to art galleries, swimming pools and cafés. Below are chosen excerpts from An’s journal.
On Tuesday, September 6th 2022, the artist Haraldur Jónsson visits us (The Walther von Goethe Foundation/The House of the Deadly Doris) at the Nordic House. Together with the House team (Richard, Ahmad) we’re sitting on the picnic bench outside because it is beautiful, sunny weather. We’re drinking americanos. Haraldur tells us that he is learning Italian. That is his 7th or 8th language. “When you live on an island,” the artist says, “you have to know two things: language and swimming.” After a few minutes, Richard adds: “Swimming is the most important one.”
Haraldur also speaks German. When he came for the first time to Germany, he knew two expressions that were enough to get around: “Aber.” (But.) and “Das ist kein Thema.” (That is not an issue.)
“Languages are like the weather,” Haraldur reminisces while taking another sip from his americano: “With certain languages the air gets warmer, with others it gets colder.”
A bit later, Sóley Frostadóttir joins me on the bench. I tell her about the observations of Ramatou. The girl had pointed out to me that I like breaks. Indeed, after my lunch break, I had my coffee break, and was already considering a swim break. “A continuous break is a vacation,” Sóley says as a matter of fact.
On Thursday, September 8th 2022, at the Safnahúsið Museum, the ticket sales woman recommends that I start on the fourth floor and proceed downstairs. But after climbing the stairs to the first floor, I feel already pretty exhausted and sit down in front of a textile piece that depicts a woman bathing in the sea. I’m not such an outdoors person so I enjoy experiencing the island from inside the museum.
Still contemplating the sea at the museum, I let the House team know on Whatsapp that the queen is dying. They are on an excursion in the Icelandic landscape. Wolfgang messages me back: “She is flying to the elves.”
The museum has an excellent library on the first floor. So I sit down once more and go through the photos on my phone. I decide to make a drawing of Wolfgang giving out certificates to the children of the workshop “What nationality do birds have?” the day before at the Nordic House. It was a happy moment.
On Friday, September 9th 2022, I visit for the second time the Dieter Roth jewelry exhibition at Listasafn Íslands. Afterwards we meet at the German embassy where Ramatou draws her own design for a ring with rabbit ears and some fluffy hair on top of it. For official moments, like a meeting at the embassy, it’s always nice to know what people have been eating. So I draw the cucumber bites in candle light.
Before, at the gallery Berg Contemporary, the gallerist explained to us that “survival” has the most words in Icelandic. Even more than snow. That’s because people had to survive a lot in the past. When the water was frozen, you had to survive without fish, etc. This constant survival mode led to a positive attitude. “Everything will work out,” is a popular Icelandic saying.
September 4th 2022. Above the Dieter Roth jewelry exhibition at Listasafn Íslands is an exhibition by Margrét Blöndal. Her work is very poetic and fragile. At first sight, it looks quite simple. So, at the museum cafeteria, equipped with a free cup of coffee, I give it a try and copy one of her drawings.
Richard can’t drink coffee. He drinks hot chocolate instead. Soon, we’re all drinking hot chocolate. Here is my portrait of Ahmad on Monday, September 5th 2022, drinking a hot chocolate on a sunny day.
September 5th is also the day that I meet Sóley for the first time. She is a fellow chronicler and, like me, she enjoys everything that happens on the side. There is a beautiful German word for that: “Nebensächlichkeiten”. I invite her to make a drawing in my notebook. On the backside of Ahmad’s portrait, she marks the contours that shine through. A double portrait comes about.
I like to invite others to draw in my notebook. Richard and Ahmad draw their designs of rings. I draw Kolbeinn. And then Kolbeinn draws me.
On Tuesday, September 6th 2022, the artist Haraldur Jónsson visits us (The Walther von Goethe Foundation/The House of the Deadly Doris) at the Nordic House. Together with the House team (Richard, Ahmad) we’re sitting on the picnic bench outside because it is beautiful, sunny weather. We’re drinking americanos. Haraldur tells us that he is learning Italian. That is his 7th or 8th language. “When you live on an island,” the artist says, “you have to know two things: language and swimming.” After a few minutes, Richard adds: “Swimming is the most important one.”
Haraldur also speaks German. When he came for the first time to Germany, he knew two expressions that were enough to get around: “Aber.” (But.) and “Das ist kein Thema.” (That is not an issue.)
“Languages are like the weather,” Haraldur reminisces while taking another sip from his americano: “With certain languages the air gets warmer, with others it gets colder.”
A bit later, Sóley Frostadóttir joins me on the bench. I tell her about the observations of Ramatou. The girl had pointed out to me that I like breaks. Indeed, after my lunch break, I had my coffee break, and was already considering a swim break. “A continuous break is a vacation,” Sóley says as a matter of fact.
On Thursday, September 8th 2022, at the Safnahúsið Museum, the ticket sales woman recommends that I start on the fourth floor and proceed downstairs. But after climbing the stairs to the first floor, I feel already pretty exhausted and sit down in front of a textile piece that depicts a woman bathing in the sea. I’m not such an outdoors person so I enjoy experiencing the island from inside the museum.
Still contemplating the sea at the museum, I let the House team know on Whatsapp that the queen is dying. They are on an excursion in the Icelandic landscape. Wolfgang messages me back: “She is flying to the elves.”
The museum has an excellent library on the first floor. So I sit down once more and go through the photos on my phone. I decide to make a drawing of Wolfgang giving out certificates to the children of the workshop “What nationality do birds have?” the day before at the Nordic House. It was a happy moment.
On Friday, September 9th 2022, I visit for the second time the Dieter Roth jewelry exhibition at Listasafn Íslands. Afterwards we meet at the German embassy where Ramatou draws her own design for a ring with rabbit ears and some fluffy hair on top of it. For official moments, like a meeting at the embassy, it’s always nice to know what people have been eating. So I draw the cucumber bites in candle light.
Before, at the gallery Berg Contemporary, the gallerist explained to us that “survival” has the most words in Icelandic. Even more than snow. That’s because people had to survive a lot in the past. When the water was frozen, you had to survive without fish, etc. This constant survival mode led to a positive attitude. “Everything will work out,” is a popular Icelandic saying.
September 4th 2022. Above the Dieter Roth jewelry exhibition at Listasafn Íslands is an exhibition by Margrét Blöndal. Her work is very poetic and fragile. At first sight, it looks quite simple. So, at the museum cafeteria, equipped with a free cup of coffee, I give it a try and copy one of her drawings.
Richard can’t drink coffee. He drinks hot chocolate instead. Soon, we’re all drinking hot chocolate. Here is my portrait of Ahmad on Monday, September 5th 2022, drinking a hot chocolate on a sunny day.
September 5th is also the day that I meet Sóley for the first time. She is a fellow chronicler and, like me, she enjoys everything that happens on the side. There is a beautiful German word for that: “Nebensächlichkeiten”. I invite her to make a drawing in my notebook. On the backside of Ahmad’s portrait, she marks the contours that shine through. A double portrait comes about.
I like to invite others to draw in my notebook. Richard and Ahmad draw their designs of rings. I draw Kolbeinn. And then Kolbeinn draws me.