ICELANDICRECORDCOVERS

Design has been part of the publication of records from the very beginning but it wasn’t until the mid 20th century, when Drangey employee Tage Ammendrup started the record company Íslenzkir tónar and had special record labels made, that this type of design became part of Icelandic design history. Shortly thereafter, records were released in illustrated sleeves and the look of these album covers would then evolve with the trends and technology of the coming decades.

The CD brought new possibilities in the 80’s and in today’s world of digitalized music we find ourselves again at a crossroads. The CD era is coming to an end while at the same time vinyl records are making a comeback. But why possess a tangible object with recordings when technology enables people to stream or download the material from the internet, sometimes even for free? Are packaging, plastics and other synthetics ill-fitted in a society that wants to minimize packaging and reduce its ecological footprint, or are they an unbreakable part of the musical experience and a way to ensure that musicians are paid for their work?

The exhibition is curated by Reynir Þór Eggertsson and designed by Hreinn Bernharðsson and Friðrik Steinn Friðriksson.

Reynir Þór Eggertsson leads a gallery talk / walk through the exhibition on Sunday the 29th of October at 16:00.

The exhibition will be on display until January 28th, 2018. The Museum of Design and Applied Art is open 12pm–5pm, every day but Monday.