Iceland as Raw Material: Bernard Alligand Donates Nine Works to the Árnes Museum
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For Bernard Alligand, Iceland is no longer merely a landscape; it is a raw material. For over twenty years, the French artist has drawn inspiration there that is as tangible as it is elemental. On June 12 in Paris, Kristín Scheving—director of the Árnes Art Museum in Hveragerði—accepted a donation of nine works from the artist, cementing the dialogue between France and this land of ice and fire.
From Volcanic Dust to Canvas
It all begins with a quest: a search for the memory held within the earth. Following the profound impact of discovering the Lascaux caves in the 1980s, Alligand has ceaselessly sought out the mineral traces of the world. In Iceland, he collects black and pearlescent sands, lava blocks, sulfurous mud, and plant matter, incorporating them directly into his works on canvas or paper. These fragments of the landscape transform into planets, asteroids, drifting ice, and the Northern Lights. The artist does not merely depict Iceland; he brings it to life on the canvas in its raw, primal texture.
A Reflection of Institutional Recognition
This donation to the Árnes Museum is not an isolated gesture. It marks the culmination of years of work and exhibitions, including Retour d’Islande (Return from Iceland), held at the residence of the Icelandic Ambassador in Paris in December 2023—an event that featured a screening of Échos, the award-winning documentary by Axel Clévenot. In 2025, the film will be an official selection at the MIFAC festival in Angoulême. At the same time, the exhibition Iceland and Artist’s Books at the Manoir des Livres in Haute-Savoie (running until October 12) reveals another facet of his work: over a hundred artist’s books born of collaborations with Icelandic poets such as Sigurður Pálsson, as well as Michel Butor and Kenneth White.
The mineral world speaks to me; I merely lend it my hand.
A gesture that creates a bond
By gifting nine works to the Árnes Museum, Bernard Alligand anchors his work within the Icelandic cultural landscape. More than just a crowning achievement, it represents a return to his roots for this explorer of raw materials. As he puts it: "The mineral world speaks to me; I merely lend it my hand." It is a gift that serves as an enduring bridge between two artistic shores.
The Embassy of Iceland has welcomed this gesture, which reflects the vitality of Franco-Icelandic cultural exchange.
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