Reykjavík – there we are
In summer 2010 14 European galleries found their temporary home for a month in Reykjavík. We aimed to prove that private galleries with curatorial experience can be innovative and stimulating, that they look forward to active interaction with the public and not only follow the market rules of competition. We aimed to get rid of mercantile atmosphere of art market: "This is not an art fair!" - we wrote. "On the contrary – Villa Reykjavík is a result of the general disappointment with the formula of art fairs. In addition, the project stems from the conviction that private galleries which collaborate with given artists play a decisive role in determining the shape of contemporary art field and the directions of its explorations. The way we propose to collaborate is different. If only in a small scale we want to release a collective energy, and rediscover our common denominator – art in its many manifestations, a penchant for experimentation and risk."

International art district
We witnessed a significant geographical shift with the focus on this one particular place on the map. All the invited galleries created an international art district. Solo exhibitions or projects involving a few chosen artists were organised. A review of private European galleries - from Vilnius and Warsaw to London and Reykjavík - took place next to each other, creating a place of meeting and confrontation.

Week of events
9 July 2010 Villa Reykjavík opened. The first week of the international art district was very special – full of openings, concerts, performances, meetings, and many other events. Each day had a meticulously planned agenda. The Icelandic part of the entire undertaking was in the hands of Kling & Bang from Reykjavík. One of the clubs in the city – Bakkus / Venue – became the club of Villa Reykjavík. This was the focal venue where everybody had the chance to really interact, where all the guests and participants of the project – gallery owners, curators, artists, and the public – had a chance to meet.

Warsaw – Reykjavík
Villa Reykjavík was another incarnation of the idea of a meeting coined by Raster Gallery in the summer of 2006 in Warsaw. Ten galleries (Foksal Foundation Gallery, gb agency, Hotel, Daniel Hug, Ibid Projects, Jan Mot, Galeria Plan b, Raster, galleries Joeclyn Wolff and Zero) had met then in an abandoned villa in the city center, a house owned by the eccentric amateur artist, Antoni Moniuszko. Hidden behind wild shrubbery, the building was changed into an extraordinary exhibition space. The few days of the project were filled with performances, spectacles, or contemporary dance presentations, while the evenings were busy with the mingling crowds of art professionals and art lovers.
We found analogies with the capital of Iceland – with its the seemingly peripheral character but also a great potential. The apparent distance of Reykjavík from the art centres of Europe ensured conditions which were perfect for a meeting, without the quotidian gallery work routine. But this is not the only advantage – we had a chance to get better acquainted with the local art and music scene.

Acknowledgements
We owe an enormous great of gratitude to all the Icelanders, CIA, i8 and Kling&Bang and our coordinators, for their great hospitality and help. But first of all the whole project could not be accomplished without the eager contribution and engagement of the galleries. From the word go we could count on your support and your ingenious ideas. It was a huge pleasure to observe that the tune we had started was taken up by others who added new hues and individual melodies to the whole piece. Finally, nothing great was ever achieved without good atmosphere, and thanks to all of you the friendly spirit of cooperation was in abundance in Reykjavik, and Villa became a multi-faceted art event. We really succeeded to create an international art community, and communication platform for the galleries, artists, musicians, and – last but not least – the audience.
We still receive lots of positive feedback from the public and journalists. Richard Unwin from „Frieze” compared Villa Reykjavik to a „cultural catharsis”. For many our guests, like Dorota Jarecka from „Gazeta Wyborcza” Polish daily, it was unprecedented opportunity to learn more not only about the artists featured by Villa Reykjavik, but also about the vivid Icelandic art scene. Laura McLean-Ferris from „Art Review” asked „Is this a new step for commercial galleries pushing the artworld agenda? Or will they break off to go somewhere else entirely?” Being approached with the question about the future of the Villa project, we see it exactly like this – as creative space for critical self-reflection on a galleries' identity and programme. We hope that we will meet again in the next incarnation of Villa, with new ideas and new contexts for art creation and presentation.

Project organized by
Raster / Stowarzyszenie Integracji Kultury, Warsaw
www.raster.art.pl

Concept: Łukasz Gorczyca & Michał Kaczyński
Project Coordinators: Paulina Wrocławska, Karol Sienkiewicz, Kamila Bondar, Kristín Dagmar Jóhannesdóttir, Edda Kristín Sigurjonsdóttir, Lilja Gunnarsdóttir
Visual Identification: Jakub de Barbaro