Press release -
Icelandic artist and musician Jónsi takes over Kunstsilo with a multi-sensory experience
Norwegian museum Kunstsilo presents the European premiere of VOX – a profoundly sensory installation by Icelandic artist and musician Jónsi, best known as the frontman of experimental Post-Rock band Sigur Rós. Opening on April 30, the exhibition marks Jónsi’s first solo show in Europe outside of Iceland and offers a unique opportunity to experience an artist who has transformed the human voice into a visual, bodily, and spiritual phenomenon.
Exhibition dates: 30 April to 12 October 2025
Press preview: Wednesday 30 April
From LA to Kunstsilo
Known for his ethereal, immersive music as the frontman of the experimental band Sigur Rós, Jónsi has, in recent years, established himself as a significant force in the visual arts. In VOX, his own voice is transformed into light frequencies that pulse across four monumental LED screens in a hypnotic choreography.
Originally unveiled in 2023 at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Los Angeles, VOX now offers European audiences the opportunity to experience the immersive installation at Kunstsilo. The immersive space is composed entirely of Jónsi’s voice, ranging from its raw, natural form to digitally processed sounds and AI-generated layers, blurring the line between the human and the artificial in a hauntingly evocative way.
A total expansion of the senses
“This is not just an exhibition – it’s a complete expansion of the senses. Jónsi invites us into a boundary-defying universe where we are enveloped by vibrations and an earthy scent of roots and botanical essences in an auditory experience. He opens a space where technology, intuition, and nature are interwoven in a way that feels both ancient and futuristic,” says curator Karl Olav Segrov Mortensen.
Reflecting the Nordic tradition
Kunstilo Director Maria Mediaas Jørstad notes: “We are proud that Jónsi has chosen Kunstsilo for the European premiere of VOX. Through his installation, we witness how the Nordic cultural heritage continues to find new forms in contemporary art. The work reflects Nordic traditions of exploring nature, mythology, and existential themes, while placing us in a global context. Our commitment to immersive, sensory art experiences – both through the works themselves and our mediation – has proven extremely popular with the public. VOX is a shining example of such a work.”
Notes to Editors
About the artist
Since the 1990s world-renowned interdisciplinary artist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson has produced ethereal sounds through an astute aesthetic that combines the minimal, classical and the progressive. Jónsi initially gained international recognition as the lead vocalist for the Icelandic experimental rock band Sigur Rós, whose unique sounds have been equated with the sublime. Jónsi’s unequivocal vocal and instrumental approach have expanded the boundaries of musical genres, rendering him one of the leading musical artists of our time. Jónsi has previously exhibited at institutions such as the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.
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Kunstsilo is an award-winning, former grain silo in Southern Norway, transformed into one of Northern Europe’s most innovative powerhouses for art and cultural experiences.
The museum houses the Tangen collection, the world’s largest collection of Nordic modernism, and the permanent collections of Kunstsilo. In addition, Kunstsilo showcases international digital contemporary art, temporary exhibitions, and an expanded offer with lectures, concerts, food experiences, workshops, function rooms and events.
“52 Places to Go in 2025” – The New York Times
“How a Grain Silo in Norway Became a Global Modern Art Destination” – Bloomberg
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