From the W1555 Buurtkrant, November 2024 by Bebe Beliz
BERGUR ANDERSON (1988) is an artist from Reykjavík, Iceland residing in Rotterdam since 2018 and part of W1555 community since spring of 2024
photo: Silvia Arenas
Have any everyday sounds or specific spots influenced your work or left a lasting impression on you?
Sound’s ability to move around, disseminate, arrive and depart in and out of consciousness is something I’m really busy with. I like paying attention to everyday sounds: birds, church bells, wind blowing in trees — and more specifically to where our place is: the sounds of martial arts exercises at Shofukan, someone who lives close by with a laughter like a cartoon villain, the footsteps on the balcony above. The spot that inspires me the most is home: while doing daily tasks, singing with Odi and Katrina, or sitting in meditation.
Which disciplines cross in your work? What art form would you love to experiment with in the future?
My practice encompasses sound, drawing/illustration, sculpture/installation, and performance — all of which overlap and cross-translate. I would like to try the art of busking at some point — to play outside on the street and in parks, to see what that would do to my compositions and playing. I wonder if it would give me a new perspective on playing time. Meaning, would I be able to write really long works that would develop over the course of a day? Or would I focus on shorter pieces? Do I sit still in one spot or move around? What instruments to play?, etc… are all things I’d like to consider and maybe adds a bit to this troubadour-entity/fantasy I have going on already...
What helps spark your creativity when you're stuck or need inspiration?
I rarely feel like I have writer’s block, as there’s usually enough going on to keep me switched on and tuned in — be it my own work or doing collaborative/commissioned work. Plus, having a baby doesn’t really give you time for naval-gazing, you have to grab the chance to work when it presents itself. One thing that I really like doing is listening to and learning songs by others — that usually opens up some new pathways, especially in terms of guitar playing and expanding my toolbox of chords and harmonies.
How does the contrast between your home town and the more intimate vibe of your new home shape your creative flow?
I grew up in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland — and Rotterdam reminds me of that place in a lot of ways. It also has a port, and one city center that all the neighborhoods spread out from. So yeah, I don’t know, I’m a city kid. But I find a lot of inspiration in the scene and community here. What drew me to Rotterdam in the first place was the types of exhibitions and gigs I’d experience here — I found it interesting because it felt grounded and experimental somehow, at the same time. Now it’s also different, with fewer venues and things going on — but, I get to experience the city in a new way with my family, doing long walks and exploring parts of the city we wouldn’t go to otherwise. I guess I get to see it through child’s eyes now, in a way — don’t know how that’s shaping my creative flow yet, but let’s see what the next album is like ;)
What do you want to become when you grow old?
I’d like to live in the countryside somewhere, with my family, continue making art and play the harp like Alice Coltrane.
Unisong, 2024, vinyl LP: https://open.spotify.com/album/66cxfZxsPytZD5OfzJNPU4
Duets, 2023, detail view of sculptural and sound installation piece
come, Memory: fieldwork, 2023, cassette made with Katrina Niebergal
Unisong digi cover.jpg — Unisong, 2024, vinyl LP
Uu-ee-uu / Noo-me, 2022, 7"record and player, presented as part of the exhibition Collected Earworms
Ten of Moods, 2021, exhibition of ceramic candle holders, picture by Katrina Niebergal
Around the Songster's Commune, 2022, cassette
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