Helgi Vignir Bragason’s solo exhibition Still Lifespan offers a visual exploration of buildings and construction materials – subjects the photographer has studied for some time. Through a multi-layered analysis of the life cycle of structures, Helgi critically examines various aspects of the construction industry, including material use, waste and environmental impact. The exhibition features still-life images based on construction waste or symbols of prosperity found on building sites, alongside photographs of concrete fragments and sketches of buildings that were demolished prematurely.
Today, bustling construction sites symbolise prosperity, much like 16th-century Dutch still-life paintings once represented wealth and abundance. Popular wisdom even has it that the number of construction cranes can be seen as a measure of a country’s economic strength – the more cranes dotting the skyline, the better the economy. These imported cranes can thus be viewed as prized artifacts from distant lands. By the same token, almost nothing that can be found on construction sites in Iceland is locally sourced – not the cement, the formwork, the electrical wires, or the supports – everything is imported, including a majority of the workforce.
This only underscores the effects of prosperity and globalisation, extending far beyond the construction industry in Iceland, as the country simply does not have enough local workers to meet the demands of rapid expansion. However, the artist’s work highlights how such swift developments often lack a clear vision for the future, neglecting efficient use of resources and sustainability. For example, buildings that have stood for only half a human lifetime are sometimes torn down to make way for new structures, inviting reflection on the fleeting nature of modern development and the true yet hidden cost of prosperity.
