Training / Education 2005-2007 Transart Institute / Donau Universität Krems, Austria. Masters of Fine Art in New Media 2004-2005 University of Manitoba. School of Art. Drawing, painting, art history, video. 2001-2004 University of Winnipeg / The School of Contemporary Dancers. Bachelor of Arts Honors in Dance 1995-2001 Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Winnipeg, Manitoba. Professional Division. Selected Workshops/residencies • Alternative Summer School,  Plug In Institute for Contemporary Art, August 2009 • Residency at PAF- Performing Arts Forum in St. Erme Outre-et-Ramecourt, France, September 2008 • Residency with SIM - Icelandic Association of Visual Artists, October 2008 • Intro to Electronics, InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Center, taught by Rob Cruickshank, July 2008 • “Beg, Borrow or Steal“ video and performance workshop led by 2boys.tv, Studio 303/Oboro New Media Center. Montreal Feb. 2008 • Interdisciplinary Workshops/residencies. Transart Institute MFA in New Media. O.K. Center for Contemporary Art in Linz, Austria (Audio, video and performance) July 2005 - 2006 - 2007 • Mentored creation process with Helene Blackburn of Cas Public, Springboard Danse Montreal (audio, video, choreography) June 2007 • Interrarium. Interdisciplinary workshop/residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts co-presented by the Banff Centre, The High Performance Rodeo. Mentors: Istvan Kantor, Tedd Robinson and Darren O’Donnell, December 2006 • 3 week intensive. Springboard Danse Montreal w/ Margie Gillis, Helen Blackburn, Dominique Porte, Louise Bedard, July 2003 - 2004 Selected Exhibition / performance History Solo • “New Icelander” Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival. Fargo, North Dakota. (Audio, video and solo performance) June 2009, 25 minutes • “New Icelander” Dance Made in Canada Biennial. Toronto, Canada. Curator: Yvonne Ng (Audio, video and solo performance) April 2009, 25 minutes • “AVATAR: phase one” KLING&BANG GALLERI, Reykjavik, Iceland. (Performance and sound collaboration with Pierre Andrieux) October 29, 2008 30 mins. • “New Icelander” Akureyrarvaka 2008, in Akureyri, Iceland. (Audio, video and solo performance) August 29, 2008, 25 minutes • “New Icelander” (excerpt) Taste of Iceland: Drake Hotel. Toronto, Canada. Curator: Mia Nielson / Nuna (now) Festival. (Audio, video and solo performance) March 13 2008, 10 minutes • “AVATAR: solo” Nuit Blanche. Studio 303. Montreal, Canada (Work in progress video, performance, sound) March 1, 2008, 8 minutes • “New Icelander” O.K. Center for Contemporary Art. Linz, Austria. Transart Institute MFA in New Media Thesis performance (Audio, video and solo performance) July 26, 2007, 25 minutes • “New Icelander” Núna (now) festival. in Winnipeg presented by the Icelandic Consulate in Winnipeg. Gas Station Theatre (Audio, video, and performance, as well as exhibition of multimedia drawings) April 2007, 45 minutes • “New Icelander: The Search for Sesselja” Plug In Institute for Contemporary Art. Curator: Steven Matjicio (Choreography, performance, set design and construction, as well as exhibition of paintings) February 2006, 50 minutes Group • Residency exhibition, SIM Icelandic Association for Visual Artists, Reykjavik, Iceland. October 2008. (drawings and video) • Cake On the Icing” InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Center. Toronto, Canada. Curator: Shaun Dacey (Audio, video and solo performance / installation of “ AVATAR: solo”) July 2008 • “Subconscious City” Winnipeg Art Gallery. Curators: Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan (Audio, video and performance excerpt from “New Icelander”) January 2008 – March 2008. *Performance February 14, 2008, 10 minutes • ”Edios”. Groundswell New Music Festival. With audio artists Ken Gregory and Borisa Sablijic. Curator: Gordon Fitzell (Performance collaborations) November 10, 2007, 5 minute and 8-minute works • “Show + Tell”, Gallery 1C03, University of Winnipeg, Curator: Jennifer Gibson (Multimedia drawing / collage) September 2007 • “Being and Becoming” Usine C Multidisciplinary Center. Montreal (Video, audio and choreography, site-specific installation for five performers) July 2007, 18 minutes • “Of A Feather” Young Lungs Dance Exchange. group show entitled: Not Frozen or Canned (Choreographed a duet and painted two 12ft x 5ft backdrop) December 2005, 25 minutes • “States of I” The Absent Sound. Eastern Canada tour, 5 cities (Duet w/stilt artist Brian Longfield) June / July 2004, 35 minutes • “Nevermind the Bollocks” Label Gallery. Curator: Kegan McFadden (2 paintings) April 2004 • “Ms. Ingénue” Graffiti Art Gallery. Curator: Shauna McLeod (3 paintings) March 2003 • “Short” Send+Receive Festival of Sound. Collective Cabaret (Performance w/ Absent Sound) November 2003, 15 minutes • “Fire in Their Eyes” Cinematheque. evening of independent women filmmakers (video) August 2002, 5-minute video work Public Art • Commission. Boeing International. Organized by Graffiti Art Gallery (painted mural) January 2006, 25ft x 8ft • Commission. Udderly Art, Calgary. Collection of the City of Calgary (painted sculpture in collaboration w/ Kevin Olafson) 2001 Selected Performance/ interpretation History • “Songs for Simone” Adhere and Deny Theatre Co. Director: Grant Guy (solo performer) November 2007 •” Art of Displacement” Trip Dance Co. (performer) December - April, 2008 • “Via Cruses” Adhere and Deny Theatre Co. Director: Grant Guy (performer, collaborator) November 2007 • “Herding Instinct” Touring with Trip Dance Co. Choreographer: Karen Kuzak. Calgary, Alberta (performer) October 2007 • “Landscape Dancing” Stephanie Ballard. Winnipeg Art Council’s “Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts” (performer) June 2007 • “Herding Instinct” Trip Dance Co. Choreographer: Karen Kuzak. Winnipeg and Regina (performer) November - March 2007 • “In a Different Light” Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers. choreographer: Sharon Moore (performer) May - June 2006 • “Not Frozen or Canned” Young Lungs Dance Exchange. Choreographers: Jennifer Essex and Natasha Torres-Garner (performer) Dec 05 • “Sunstorm” Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers. 40th Anniversary Celebration. Choreographer and Founding Director: Rachel Browne (performer) May 2004 • Workshop pieces by: Helene Blackburn and Margie Gillis, Springboard Danse Montreal. (performer) July 2003 and 2004 Selected Press + Publications • “Subconscious City”, exhibition catalogue, Winnipeg Art Gallery, curators: Shawna Demspey and lorri Millan, February 2008 • Allison Gilmor, Show + Tell, exhibition catalogue, Gallery 1C03, University of Winnipeg, August 2007 • online article “Aussterbende Telefone” OÖnachrichten, Linz, Austria, July 25th, 2007 http://www.nachrichten.at/kultur/574830?PHPSESSID=575ee5ed65ba0abdd14ef89ac4428047 • Allison Mayes, “Fragility, Strength Combine in Pioneer Saga”, Winnipeg Free Press, Friday, April 27th, 2007 • Cheryl Binning, “New Traditions: Nuna (now) festival builds a cultural bridge between Manitoba and Iceland” Winnipeg Free Press, April 19th, 2007 • David Jon Fuller, “Female Icelandic Artists Bring Collaborative Show to WCD”, Lögberg-Heimskringla, February 10th, 2006 • Cover Artwork / image, The Uniter, University of Winnipeg Press, Issue 16 vol. 60, January 19th, 2006 • Allison Mayes, “Dancers Take Fresh Approach To Their Art”, Winnipeg Free Press, December 17th, 2004 Scholarships / Awards Selected 1997-07 • Canada Council for the Arts. Dance Creation/Production Grant. 2008/2009 • Manitoba Arts Council. Special Opportunities Grant. Residency with the Icelandic Artists Association. 2008 • Nominated for The Winnipeg Arts Council Award “On The Rise” by Winnipeg’s School of Contemporary Dancers, May 2008 • IETM : International Performing Arts Network Travel Grant to attend meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia, May 2008 • Canada Council for the Arts. Grant – Inter-Arts Program, February 2008 • Canada Council for the Arts. Grants to Dance Professionals, June 2007 • Manitoba Arts Council. Dance Creation Grant, November 2006 • Transart Institute. Foundation M Scholarship. MFA in New Media, 2005-2007 • Icelandic Festival of Manitoba. Soren Terguson Memorial Award. Juried Art exhibition, August 2006 • Canada Iceland Foundation. Jon Jonas Gillas Memorial Scholarship, 2005-2006 • Canada Council for the Arts. Grants to Dance Professionals, July 2004 • Winnipeg Arts Council. Individual Artists Grant, 2004 • University of Winnipeg Women’s Auxiliary Entrance Scholarship for Academic Achievement, 2002-2003 • Imperial Order of Daughter’s of the Empire, awarded Jón Sigurdson Bursary, 2000-2001 • Royal Winnipeg Ballet awarded Dr. Alice Cheatley / University of Winnipeg Women’s Club Bursary, 1997-1998 Professional Affiliations • Nuna (now) Contemporary Art Festival, member of the curatorial committee, 2006 - ongoing • Young Lungs Dance Exchange (member) 2005 – ongoing • Graffiti Art Gallery (Instructor) 2002 - 2007 • Video Pool Media Arts Center (member) 2005 – ongoing • Mentoring artists for Women’s Art (member) 2005 • Nafro Dance Productions “Salama” (member of African drumming ensemble) 2003-05 Panel discussions / Workshops / Teaching / community involvement • Attended IETM (Network of Performing Arts Organizations) meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia, May 14-18, 2008 • Attended La Biennale Des Jeunes Createurs D’Europe et la Mediterranen, Bari, Italy May 22 – 26, 2008 • Curated the performance of Erna Omarsdottir / Johann Johansson’s “IBM-1401 a user’s manual” for NÚNA (now), May 2008 • Traveled to Iceland with colleague Arne Macpherson to meet with artists in regards to curating NÚNA (now) 2008. Nov, 2007 • Jury Member for Manitoba Arts Council, Winnipeg Art Council and Video Pool Juries for funding to individual artists and organizations. • “Artistic Leaders of Tomorrow” Canada Council Panel Discussion (delegate) June 2007 • “The Role of the University in Art Education” University of Winnipeg Panel Discussion (delegate) April 2006 • “Interpreting Visual Art Through Dance” Winnipeg School Division #1 (Facilitated teachers’ workshop) Winter 2007 • One week community art residency. Canada Council for the Arts / Graffiti Gallery / Terminus 1525.ca, in Tadoule Lake, MB. September 2003 • Royal Conservatory of Music “Learning Through The Arts” (Guest artist in 13 public schools) 2005 – ongoing • Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (videographer) documentation of selected performances 2003 - 2007 • Edmonton Opera (scenic painter building sets for two productions, Falstaff and H.M.S Pinafore) August 2007 • Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Summer Intensive (Modern Dance Instructor) August 2007 • School of Contemporary Dancers (percussionist and substitute dance instructor) 2005 http://www.nachrichten.at/kultur/574830?PHPSESSID=575ee5ed65ba0abdd14ef89ac4428047shapeimage_1_link_0
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Freya Björg Olafson
| Canadian InterMedia Artist | Winnipeg | Manitoba |
Freya Björg Olafson
| Canadian intermedia artist | winnipeg | Manitoba |
CV
 photo: Mandy Malazdrewich