Context 

   
We live on the fringes of world civilization in a sparsely populated, rugged country just below the Arctic Circle, in a marginally habitable environment. The future lies in sparsely-populated, marginal areas: Rural areas will be front and centre at the South Iceland Biennale. As an ever-greater portion of humanity moves to cities, 98% of earth’s surface lies outside the main urban limits; its development will have a decisive effect on the future of earthly habitation. While brain drain flows from rural to urban areas, rural areas in most regions of the world are seeing far-reaching changes, driven largely by new technologies, in the utilization of natural resources. The relationship of developed areas to the natural environment in Iceland offers a unique opportunity to examine a local context in the light of global challenges.
                   
                         
 
                
The idea for the South Iceland Biennale grew out of a collaboration with the owners of the Stóri-Klofi property, where the biennial will have the use of a defunct fox-fur farm and a 100-year-old sheep-house. Stóri-Klofi, in the Landsveit district, is a point of convergence between the highland frontier, the river Þjórsá, Mount Hekla, mountainous recreational areas, popular tourist sites along Route 1 and the terrain surrounding the Búrfell Hydropower Station. Here, at the limit of the habitable world, urgent questions emerge about humanity’s relationship to its environment and its future. From this location, the biennial will promote collaboration with museums, galleries, and educational institutions in South Iceland to create a consortium. Proximity to the capital-city region offers opportunities for delving into sustainability, conservation, new technologies, and the man-made environment. The emphasis will be on local residents’ input and the use of local knowledge and experience in knowledge development.