INSIDE VOICES, OUTSIDE LIGHT
PERSPECTIVES ON WEST NORDIC ART
A group exhibition featuring 21 contemporary artists from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, and Norway opens April 18 at Scandinavia House.
New York, NY—The American-Scandinavian Foundation is pleased to announce Inside Voices, Outside Light: Perspectives on West Nordic Art, opening April 18, 2026 at Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America. A group exhibition featuring 21 contemporary artists from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway, Inside Voices, Outside Light highlights the unique perspective of these North Atlantic territories, who share cultural and historical ties while each possessing distinct identities and communities. With works ranging across photography, paintings, textiles, film, and sculpture, including three site-specific installations, the exhibition also showcases the diversity and complexity of the region.
Participating artists include Morten Andenæs (NO), The Arctic Creatures (IC), Per
Barclay (NO), Ask Bjørlo (NO), Jóhan Martin Christiansen (FO), Helgi Þorgils Friðjónsson (IC), Inuk Silis Høegh (GL), Hansina Iversen (FO), Rannva Kunoy (FO), Nils Erichsen Martin (NO), Trine Lise Nedreaas (NO), Camille Norment (NO), Lisbeth Karline Poulsen (GL), Ragna Róbertsdóttir (IC), Agnieszka Sosnowska (IC), Inuuteq Storch (GL), Silja Strøm (FO), Steina and Woody Vasulka (IC), and Jens Dam Ziska (FO).
A special Opening Day Celebration on April 18 will feature a Curator Walkthrough (1 PM), a screening of The Green Land, directed by Inuk Silis Høegh (2 PM), and a Book Launch and Artist Panel with Kinna Poulsen, Hansina Iversen, Jóhan Martin Christiansen, and Emily Stoddart (3 PM). On view through June 20, 2026, ongoing related programming will include Gallery Tours and more.
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Connected through geography and culture including Norse history, reliance on marine resources, and shared Arctic/maritime focus, the West Nordic countries form a distinct sub-region within the larger Nordic area. While Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands all share colonial ties with Denmark, each country has its own culture and identity, with locations closer to neighbors in the west: Canada, the U.S., the UK and Ireland. Each region also presents a unique perspective.
Borrowing from the title of a collection of poetry by Icelandic poet, translator and film director Sigurður Pálsson, Inside Voices, Outside Light brings together a diverse spectrum of work ranging from the haunting, almost surreal, and authentic images in Inuk Silis Høegh’s four-part film The Green Land, to the high energy and humor of the artist collective The Arctic Creatures, to the intricate and delicate textile tapestries of Ask Bjørlo. With current geopolitical conditions renewing interest in the area, some works also confront misconceptions. Lisbeth Karline Poulsen depicts resistance and strength in reaction to the current annexation threats, while Trine Lise Nedreaas explores our shared experience of a temporal existence in a relentless eternity. The exhibition also features site-specific work by Camille Norment, Hansina Iversen and Jóhan Martin Christiensen.
Organized by ASF, Inside Voices, Outside Light is the second in a series of three exhibitions celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Scandinavia House — which has welcomed over 3 million visitors since opening its doors in October 2000 — and continues a year-long series of anniversary events. The exhibition has been curated by Emily Stoddart, Manager of Exhibitions at Scandinavia House, with the support of three curator consultants: Karin Hellandsjø (Norway), Kinna Poulsen (Faroe Islands), and Pari Stave (Iceland). Major support has been provided by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs. Additional support has been provided by the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation and The Royal Norwegian Consulate in New York. Support has also been provided by the following ASF Funds: The Bonnier Family Fund for Contemporary Art, The F. Donald Kenney Fund for Visual Arts, and The Kronquist Mesaros Memorial Endowment Fund
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