ANDREAS HOPFGARTEN
Plastic Viking I
Installation shot
PLASTIC VIKING I (2022)
Video 08:00
There are three statues of Thorfinn Karlsefni sculpted by Einar Jónsson, with two located in Reykjavik and one in Philadelphia, USA. The Philadelphia statue, cast first and installed in 1920, was toppled in 2018 and dragged into a nearby river. Prior to its removal, alt-right groups had used the statue as a focal point for demonstrations. It has not been reinstated since. The statues in Reykjavik remain standing.
Einar Jónsson idealized the figure of Thorfinn Karlsefni, as no depiction of him exists. Similarly, the image of Vikings has been — and continues to be — idealized, glorified, and romanticized in modern culture. Vikings are frequently portrayed in TV shows, comic books and advertisements. Their historical associations with raiding, slavery, rape, and warfare have been transformed into a myth of the "noble savage," admired for qualities such as honor, trading prowess, and exceptional seamanship. Today, their violent nature is often reinterpreted as a form of hyper-masculinity, a trait that contemporary society is perceived to be lacking.
A copy changes meaning due to the context it is placed in. So does a viking.
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