Birnir is an Icelandic artist working with text, film and theatre as an author and performer. His works often revolve around environmental matters and the person in the context of the commercial and attention economy. Birnir does individual works as well as being member of devised theatre groups CGFC and Ást og Karóki. He is the official playwright for Borgarleikhúsið city theatre the year 2022-2023. He has hosted and co-hosted various events, including experimental theatre nights in tóma rýmið, experimental theatre festival Safe fest and Gullmolinn short film festival. He is the founder of tóma rýmið experimental theatre space in Reykjavík, Iceland.
Quotes
"Fuglabjargið er heilsteypt og fallegt listaverk sem enginn skyldi láta framhjá sér fara. Á þeim tímum sem við nú lifum hefur aldrei verið mikilvægara að taka til sín hugmyndina um náttúruna sem á rétt á að vera til á sínum eigin forsendum. Fuglabjargið styður þá hugmynd að allt sem lifir fái að gera það á sínum eigin forsendum."
-Jakob S. Jónsson, Kjarninn um Fuglabjargið
Á heildina litið er því um að ræða verk sem er fallega ort, og með smekklegri tónlist, sem hefur alla burði til að verða jafnvel sígilt. Það er vegna þess að umfjöllunarefnið, og mátinn sem það er framreitt á, er frekar tímalaus, og þegar ljóð og lög eru svona haglega samin þá gæti ég trúað að áhorfendum hefði ekki leiðst að heyra þau fyrir fimmtíu árum, og að þau muni einnig ganga upp eftir fimmtíu ár.
-Snæbjörn Brynjarsson, Víðsjá, Rúv um Fuglabjargið
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
“Hér er á ferðinni einstaklega falleg, frumleg skemmtileg og vönduð sýning sem minnir okkur á mikilvægi þess að hlúa að heimkynnum okkar og gefast ekki upp þegar þreyja þarf þorrann því það birtir ávallt til á ný”
-Silja Björk Huldudóttir, Morgunblaðið um Fuglabjargið
„Afleitt efni í leiksýningu? Annað kom á daginn!“
– Silja Aðalsteinsdóttir, TMM, um Skattsvik Development Group
„…kraftmiklar og áleitnar sögur úr samtímanum, þær eru myndrænar, skapa sterkt andrúmsloft og koma erindi sínu vel til skila.“
- dómnefnd um Strá
⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Sögurnar vekja forvitni og virðast í fyrstu vera dimmar og myrkar og þunglyndislegar, þær eru rólegar og lágstemmdar en unun að lesa… Bókin skilur mann eftir með hlýja tilfinningu og örlitla von. Stíll Birnis er ljóðrænn, þægilegur og auðlesinn.”
- Katrín Lilja, Lestrarklefinn,
Documentables
Education
2016-2019 - Iceland Academy of the Arts - Theatre and Performance
2019 - Real Escuela Superior de los Artes Dramáticos
2014 -2015 - University of Iceland. Film theory and literature.
Awards and nominations
2023 - NOMINATED, Icelandic music awards for music video of the year for Sigra heiminn.
2020 - NOMINATED, Gríman, Icelandic National Theatre Awards, play of the year for Kartöflur.
2019 - WON, Nýjar Raddir, (new voices) competition by Forlagið publishing company for Strá.
2016 - NOMINATED Best music video at The Montly Film Festival for Gleymérei
2015 - RUNNER UP at the Gullmolinn short film festival for New York, New York
2015 - WON Prix premiers films at the Courts des îles international short film festival for the short Heimanám.
2014 - WON Best short film at the Gullmolinn short film festival for the short Heimanám.
Festivals and programs
2022 - Saari residence, artist in residence
2020 - Hlaupa á vegg, Safe fest
2019 - Dett, Safe fest
2018 - Háskar, a doomsday festival. A performance by CGFC
2017 - Platform Nord in Kristiansand. Opening performance CGFC: HEADLINER
2017 - LungA art festival. Performance CGFC: HEADLINER
2017 - Pólar festival. Performance CGFC: HEADLINER
2016 - 2017 National Theatre of Iceland. Performer for Improv Ísland
2016 - Avanca film festival. Official selection Gleymérei
2016 - LungA art festival. Exhibition of STOP CGFC 2016
2016 - Fear no film festival. Official Selection Gleymérei.
2016 - The Monthly Film Festival. Gleymérei
2015 - Platform Nord in Kristiansand. Performance CGFC: Radio activity.
2015 - Cannes short film corner. Heimanám.
2015 - Festival de la Foa, film festival. Heimanám.
List of works
2024 - Sýslumaður Dauðans
2024 - Dramaturg for Sinna Virtanen
2023 - SUND
2023 - article for the backpage of Heimildin newspaper
2022 - article for Uppástand radio program about inspiration
2022 - 4 Articles performed in Víðsjá about climate change.
2022 - BÍLLINN (CAR), short experiment in tóma rýmið, with Arnar Geir Gústafsson
2022 - The music video Sigra heiminn by Kvikindi, director and editor
2021 - Símaverið, a short telephone drama on Lókal Festival
2021 - Suð, short radio drama, playwright, RÚV
2021 - Kartöflur, radio drama in three parts, author and performer with CGFC
2021 - Fuglabjargið, children’s book, author
2021 - Fuglabjargið, children’s opera, author
2021 - Co za poroniony pomysł, play, dramaturg
2020 - Hlaupið á vegg, performance, author and performer
2020 - Beta by kvikindi music video, director, DP, editor, colorist
2020 - Skattsvik Development Group, play, author and performer with Á&K
2019 - 2020 - Kartöflur, play, author and performer with CGFC
2019 - Dett, performance on Safe fest, author and performer
2019 - Strá, book, author
2019 - Eyður, play, intern with Marble Crowd
2019 - Inni, graduation play, director
2018 - Brókun by CGFC, performance, author and performer with CGFC
2018 - Hafið er hákarlatár, animation, collaboration with Ýr Jóhannsdóttir
2018 - Samfélagsvon, danceoke video by Flétta, DP and editor
2018 - NAUHJ, music video director with CGFC and Halldór Eldjárn, DP and editor
2018 - Loving None by Sykur, musicvideo, editor
2018 - Experimental söngleikur um gróðurhúsaáhrif, devised play, director
2017 - CGFC: Headliner, play, author and performer with CGFC
2017 - Allskonar um gróðurhúsaáhrif, short devised performance, LHÍ, author
2017 - Sýning um glímu og Slazenger, play, author and performer with Á&K
2016 - CGFCA: Glitter litter, film by Anders Morre about CGFC
2016 - Sannleikur*, play, author and performer with Þórey Birgisdóttir and Friðrik Margrétar-Guðmundsson
2016 - Yggdrasill CGFC. Installation with CGFC
2016 - STOP CGFC 2016, installation with CGFC
2016 - “"I thought it was brilliant, a fantastic performance" - Henrik Vibskov, play, author and performer with CGFC
2016 - Gleymérei, music video, director, DP and editor with Vilhelm Neto
2015 - Sýning um ást og karókí, play, author and performer with Ást & Karókí
2015 - Radio activity, live radio drama, author and performer with CGFC
2015 - New York, New York, short film, director, DP and editor with Arnar Geir Gústafsson
2015 - tíst og bast, promotional video, DP and editor
2015 - MIG, student play, performer
2015 - Torgið talar, text installation, author
2015 - Plöntur og skrifborð, short play, author and director
2015 - Vigdís Finnbogadóttir 35th election anniversary, host
2014 - Leg, students play, director
2014 - Heimanám, short film, director, editor, DP
2012 - Fríyrkjan, Poetry collection by several authors.
Founder of tóma rýmið (2020-?), independent experimental theatre space, an heir to the safe fest festival.
Founder of Safe fest (2019-2020) with Snæfríður Sól Gunnarsdóttir, Adolf Smári Unnarsson, Salvör Gullbrá Þórarinsdóttir, Helgi Grímur Hermannsson and Aron Martin Ásgerðarson.
Founder of Gullmolinn short film awards with Elmar Þórarinsson (2014-2017)
Founder of Kvikmyndakommúnan (August 2015 - December 2015), an independant film workshop.
Founder of Frúardagur theatre program (2010 - ?)
Contact
Birnir Jón Sigurðsson
birnirjon@gmail.com
+354 857 1298
birnir.substack.com