Ásthildur Jónsdóttir, Iceland (b. 1970) has PhD from the University of Iceland and Doctor of Arts from University of Lapland. MA from NYU and Med from the University of Iceland.
Ásthildur is an artist, researcher, curator and educator living in Helsinki Finland. She has worked as a university lecturer at the Iceland University of the Arts, since 2009, where she worked as an assistant professor before moving to Europe. She has studied artistic actions for sustainability, community-based art and participatory art practices when finding a balance between well-being and the integrity of nature. Concepts from critical, place-based education for sustainability, participatory pedagogy, collective efficacy and places /spaces are fundamental to her research interests.
Her interests include arts and cultural movements that support sustainability at all levels. For a number of years she has been involved with issues concerning the ecology of the planet. In her work she is concerned about places/ environment, memories, recollection and identity through authorship and collaboration, questioning individuality, exploring what is unique and what is common.
With her works, she wants to bring attention to how human interaction can further both the understanding and practice of well-being with respect to the integrity of nature. In later years, participation has played an essential role in her works. With participation, she creates settings for people to experience significance through actions performed in close connection with the spirits of nature. She often works with installations in a contemporary context and with the voices of participants from a selected place.
Contact: astajons@gmail.com
Arctic Aesthetics, 2019, Installation including hand-stitched and painted cloth, prints, and writings— at Arktikum – Museum and Science Centre Rovaniemi Finland.
Changes on Northern Shores - Observing Problems through Art and Science 