Johann Sigmarsson

When I was a child my dad always came with empty wine bottles for me to paint on. I started from there. I was never going to be a designer. I was not thinking of it. Of course I were looking and thinking of the beauty of design in items, but I was thinking of it differently than today. I was thinking of its function or I was thinking how can I use it for my Art. I am filmmaker and artist. I got involved into filmmaking, but I was thinking of art. Today it's no art in filmmaking. It's just some bureaucracy trying to be entertainment for the market dominated by the business people. It's highly overrated, so I changed my life back to art.

The Equator Memorial Project is a group of international artists who are creating art pieces and functional objects by recycling materials from world historical monuments. The target is to held series of exhibitions on the heritage site locally, in galleries or museums worldwide. The exhibitions will comprise a few, numbered items of functional objects and art works related to the heritage sites. The intention is that the pieces will be signed by the artists and sold at auction in the end of every exhibition. A part of the income for each sold piece will be allocated to charity fund for supporting community projects. Accompanying every item will be a short informational text on the history of the material. Recycled Materials: The Reykjavík Harbor, The Berlin Wall, The Hamburg Port and Hiroshima.

That's design in everything on earth, so design is very important.

Something that comes out of my subconscious and is unexpected. I'm a bit of surrealistic. I believe in dreams and more important I believe in daydreams. I like random.

I am thinking about story in design and somehow LA CHOCOLATERIE MENIER is a beautiful architecture which is in a river. The story is the Menier Chocolate company was a chocolate manufacturing business founded in 1816 as a pharmaceutical manufacturer in France, at a time when chocolate was used as a medicinal product and was only one part of the overall business.

Shoes for myself in 1989. I am disabled on the right side of my body after meningitis in childhood. So I sketched up shoes which specially made for me by shoemaker.

Last summer at Reykjavík City Hall in cooperation with UNESCO. We want to held our next exhibition in Hamburg.

I'm first of all creating art. I do everything with my left hand. To create!

In Iceland, but in May 2012, I was watching a report on the evening news about the Association of Icelandic Ports and its intention to refurbish the Reykjavík Harbor. Apparently, much of the jetty was to be removed and discarded. It occurred to me then that the wood might be recycled and used to make furniture. And this was the beginning of a brand new idea. In autumn, I obtained permission to take the wood being thrown away by the Reykjavík Harbor. We then began to dry and plane it in preparation for the project. I soon discovered that much of the material was perfect for what I had in mind, i.e. stylish handmade furniture. Aside from being environmentally friendly, this recycling was also a kind of resurrection. Way back in 1903, the very same material was used to construct a dock for the herring fleet, which later became a part of the Reykjavik Harbor that was constructed between 1913 and 1917. Closer examination revealed that the some of the wood originally came from a German schooner that sank off the south coast of Iceland in 1890. The vessel was brought to Reykjavik and disassembled for scrap. Fascinatingly, research indicated that that the trees may have been more than 200 years old when they were first used for shipbuilding. The recycled wood from the Harbor gives the furniture a characteristic look and holds part of Reykjavík’s history at the same time.

I am freelance and work for myself, but of course I have to deal with other people and companies. Usually it's a good cooperation, but everything have to be fair and honest.

Usually I don't think so much about it. I let it come into my mind easy and sketch it down, then I start to do the prototype and from there I can change it.

When I wake up I am usually curious about the day, who I'm going to meet and what I'm going to do?

I use photoshop, indesign and freehand. Of course there is a inspirations from other artists, designers and architects in the history. I analyze myself for what I want to do.

I don't think so much of the time. You can always develope yourself later on.

It depends on what you're doing. You can always do another prototypes of the same item.

From private collectors to companies and institutions, but I don't have such a long experience in clients, because. It is only three years since I designed and built my first bed. I didn't know I could do it, so it was very surprising situation.

I have been developing and creating pieces myself, but now we're getting a international team together concerning the current project.

Through www.40074km.is - The Equator Memorial Project, or the competition.

At age 5 I got meningitis and got disabled on the right side of the body. I was lot in hospitals because of that at my early years as child. I had to exercise from my right side to the left side and I had speech problem. I couldn’t talk at all. When I was working out of the worst difficulties of my sickness my dad brought lot of empty wine bottles and colours from his work every week for my to paint on them. He was owner of a big club in Reykjavík. My parents took me sometimes to their work when they didn’t have a babysitter and there I watched some various affects of life, like people beating each other up, some horror, something children shouldn’t see. There was as well lot of music bands playing each weekend and that had good influence on me. I had a lot of freedom in my childhood because of my parents where working every night and sleeping in the daytime, so it was almost no adult to care. I painted a lot in childhood and that has without doubt create what I am today. I work as creator and it just always has been like that. It was difficult to be youngster because of my sickness and then my father got depressed. He got bankrupt and lost everything. He tried to commit suicide for 13 times before it succeeded. My family was splitting apart. I tried to get various jobs, but because of my sickness no one would hired me. I think they was afraid of the responsibility. I was homeless at the time and lived in a old car. I brushed my teeth on bars. The only thing I had was a little drawing block and some pencils. I started to draw people for liquors. When I was in technical drawings, metalwork and mechanical engineering and later in the Reykjavik School of Visual Art I had different little jobs with my friend related to film industry, mostly jobs without salaries and I painted in laundry room at my brother from 1988. That was my beginning of the development of a carrier with harking. I met some good people on my way and I started in production of my first feature film which I wrote with in 1991. I had experiment with the arts. I would say it would be very important to develop what you’re working on and don’t give up though you are imagine you got all the problems of the world on your shoulders. If the Arts wants you it will come and you just follow where ever it goes.

I was not going to become designer. Seven years ago I started with a new girlfriend from Sweden living in the countryside of Iceland. I was living in Berlin and she was going to move to me, but she had two dogs. One of them was heartsick and couldn’t fly. I moved to Iceland and left most of my personal effects behind. When I came there most of her personal effects was in boxes and she just had two old mattresses on the floor. We didn’t have so much money. Then I got idea to create bed and that’s how it started. One month later I had a order to make another one. Then I started to experiment with what I was gifted to create, design and build, so I created armchair and a desk. I worked many creative jobs through the years as film set dresser, writings, directing, producing, drawings, paintings and sculptures as well as renovating houses. It was always little money or no money at all in my projects and because of that I had to do lot myself, so carpenter and designer came as well. I obviously got those creative elements in my head.

First I think of the object and subject I am going to do and what for. Then I read about it, schedule and sketch it up. Then I create the first prototype and look at it. I melt it in my head for a while if it need some changes. I work with computer and always build my prototypes and create the art pieces myself. Sometimes I have assistant and sometimes someone to criticise. To have someone to criticise is good if its right and helpful analyse on the subject.

I feel good when I create arts and its very educating and sophisticated for the brain. You call out the seven senses.

If you think about it. Design is in almost every object around you. The World and its Universe is a big design and almost everything in it too. My background in filmmaking and creative various arts was developing the designer in me. Of course for years I’ve been reading books, articles, watch documentaries, see designed objects and think about it, but nothing compares if you design object yourself and get a good feedback. I had develop the designer in me for decades. I remember I was always creating some design by taking old different objects and puzzle them together because I didn’t have afford a new one. That trains your brain. I have moved over 30 times in my life and very often I have just take my necessary stuff with me and left my other stuff behind or give it away because it was so much effort to take it with me. If you look at the negative in positive way. It’s a kind of freedom.

I have The Equator Memorial Project which is a group of international artists who are creating art pieces and functional objects by recycling historical materials of ruins from world heritage sites. It will take years to establish it and build it up. The mission is to hold a series of exhibitions in galleries or museums worldwide in support of a sustainable environment, justice, freedom and peace. At each exhibition approximately 50 - 60 art pieces will be presented created by selection of international artists. A part of the income for each sold or rented piece will be allocated to a charity fund for humanitarian and community projects. Confirmed materials: the Reykjavík Harbour, the Hamburg Port, the Berlin Wall, Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima (A bomb), two broken windows from office of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in the Norwegian government's headquarters in Central Oslo after it was damaged from terrorist attack by Anders Behring Breivik and from Graveyard of Lenin monuments and Stalin statues. Plans have been drawn up to obtain materials from; the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane, which has been preserved untouched since almost all its inhabitants were massacred on June 10, 1944, the Czech village of Lidice, 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, former Soviet Union - GULAG, Colosseum, ruins of the Buddhas of Bamiyan which was destroyed in Afghanistan by Taliban in 2001 to demolish holy icons and disrespect ideologic of the religion, the Basque town of Guernica, Liverpool and the slave trade and from the time of the Japanese Diplomat Chiune Sugihara, when he was in Lithuania helping people and children from the tragedy of the World War II.The next exhibition is scheduled to be at Headquarters UNESCO in Paris for support of sustainable environment, justice, freedom and peace, opening at 17th of November 2018 in the honour of the 21st anniversary of The International Day of Peace.

Design! Design! Design! Don’t be disappointed if you make a mistake. Learn from it.

I once watched a documentary about Andrei Tarkovsky and when he was asked why he became a filmmaker, He answered; “I didn’t pick filmmaking, filmmaking picked me”. I guess the same goes over successful designers, artists, architects etc. You don’t pick your profession, the profession picks you. It means it will come if you’re that profession.

Oh I have so many problems. It starts from the early morning when I open my eyes and wake up. Then I have to dissolve problems so they don’t be problems any longer and can actually work. I work on abovementioned; The Equator Memorial Project, which I created. That’s lot of fun, lot of effort and lot of work. I run errands for it like a slave, but sometimes it takes me on a trip and educate me as well as introduce my for new interesting people and places. 2016 I was looking for art studio for the project in Vilnius, but I didn’t find it. I found my wifey, some history, then I found a old small company which I bought, changed it name to UAB / STUDIJA VILNIUS and then now I was renting a premises for studio. The containers are at the custom. Soon I will be creating for it. I like it otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it.

I am not designing anything like it yet, but I have some drawings and prototypes and will do it in the near future. I’ve been working on establishing the project and that has taken all my time. I had the first History- and Art exhibition “When The Atomic Bomb Exploded” Harpa, Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavík exhibited a collection of art pieces from The Equator Memorial Project / International itinerant artists project. The exhibition opened 15th of December 2016, when it was formally 60 years from the beginning of the diplomatic relations between Iceland and Japan. The first exhibition is achieved partly in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and was opened by President of Iceland, Mr. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Yasuhiko Kitagawa. I don’t go so much after any trends.

If I have a prototype which just been made. Then I criticise it. What’s it for? Is it comfortable? Is it looking nice? What changes can I possibly make if there’s any? Then I give it some time and show it to others.

When I have give it some time and I an satisfied with what I have been thinking about it and doing. It’s done. I don’t know when the product or project has become a success, otherwise I would be a millionaire, but I am not. I am an artist, not much of a businessman. Somebody else than me have to judge my products and somebody else have to sell it. I need company of business which take care of that.

Its so many. We have had very good designers, architects and artists through centuries, but it’s sad as well in history that they are demolishing some of those beautiful works. They are destroying whole cities by war like what’s happening in Syria. Who gives some guys who are in power maybe for 10 or 20 years to destroy over 5000 years old cities and kill innocent people or force them to leave their homes? And all this they do because of religions, or power and money. It’s insanity. You don’t go into war if you wish for peace. You don’t die for piece. You live with piece. War is not necessary today. It’s a lot of money which goes into war business, public money. It’s a bad philosophy and act of destructions. Governments should hire people for growing trees for 4 years, instead of making innocent people go to the army and changing them into killing machine, fighting innocent people on the opposite side, who they call their enemies. It’s not right. If people don’t belong together they can walk from each other. It’s always fake cause to go into war. We don’t have to defend tradition like that. All those wars is horrifying history. We are guests on the earth and we should share our good significant knowledge and our great thought for the life. I was with my wife in Benidorm over the New Year visiting her mother. It was snowing in Madrid and lot of cars got stuck in the snow. They was sending the army out to help people from it. That was a good cause. Of course I would like to talk to Le Corbusier, Frank Gehry or get on a bender with Picasso, or drink absinthe with Van Gogh and scream with Edvard Munch.

I like all cities I’ve been too. Some are similar. Some different. They have contrasting culture and individual people. Music has always been very important for my creativity. I am in Vilnius now, but I am from Reykjavík. Now I’m working on getting 2 containers from Iceland to Lithuania. It is stuck in the custom in Klaipeda. We’re dissolving that problem. It contains some of the historical material which I’ve been collecting for the Equator Memorial Project and my working equipments for our new art studio in Vilnius. I will be working there creating art pieces and functional objects until September this year. Then I will be working in a studio in Berlin until beginning of November. The art pieces will be exhibited at UNESCO.

I ‘m not forcing any ideas to me. It all comes from the subconscious of my brain and from the outside environment I am thinking about. I work alone, but sometimes with assistants on my art pieces, other artists and professionals I hire as freelances on my projects. I think it’s easy to work with me, but some people say it can sometimes be overwhelming because I am to pushy to get what I wish for and then I always want more, but that is their opinion and not my problem. I am not a businessman and have no interest in it. Often I have to seek business for my work, but I hate it and all the bureaucracy behind it. Bureaucracy is only for one thing. It’s for creating more bureaucracy for nothing. If we’re some professionals working together which I has been hiring for some project. I always give them full authority to create their input. It’s in the project what it is about. We can have discussions about it and I would say that’s very important for cooperations. I am always open for cooperations. It’s about sharing and to pass on.

I work my profession with all my heart and its up to the society if people accept it or not. That’s my feelings.The task I am establishing now; The Equator Memorial Project which is about recycling historical materials and create art pieces and functional objects to connect history, environment, design and art together for support of a sustainable environment, justice, freedom and peace. The concept is humanitarian and its open for everyone.