Hamraborg Festival: Art Poetica: Ekphrasis-ritlistarsmiðja

Art Poetica: An Ekphrastic Writing Practice

Ekphrasis is writing inspired by art, dating back to ancient Greece, that attempts to capture the sights and sensations of the visual and translate them into text. Writers from Reykjavík Poetics will lead a guided hour-long workshop at Gerðarsafn, open to writers and non-writers alike, where we will explore this creative tool, forming poetry or prose inspired by the artworks around us.

Participants are invited to move freely between the museum’s exhibition halls. Currently, Jeremy Deller’s exhibition National Happiness occupies the museum’s two largest galleries. On the lower ground floor, visitors can also explore the exhibition series Lúppa and a retrospective of Gerður Helgadóttir's work.

At the end of the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to take part in a reading with Reykjavík Poetics at Salurinn from 18:30 to 19:00. The reading is part of the Hamraborg Festival programme.

Reykjavík Poetics is a community-oriented organisation running two literary event series: the monthly open mic, Reykjavík Open, and curated events. The organisation encourages multilingual participation from local and international writers, aiming to make literature accessible and inclusive, fostering a vibrant literary community where diverse voices and stories can be heard and contribute to Reykjavík’s literary life.