**Haraldur Karlsson**

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**Electronic artist, video artist, soil artist & arts consultant**

 

**About Me**

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With extensive expertise in multimedia arts and technology, I bring over two decades of experience spanning education, artistic innovation, and project management. After completing advanced studies in visual arts and music, I established and directed the new media laboratory at the Iceland University of the Arts, where I served as department head for nine years. Throughout my career, I have balanced professional responsibilities with my own artistic practice, allowing each to inform and enrich the other.

 

As a visual artist, I work across multiple disciplines including installation art, performances, workshops, curating, festival organization, and cultural consulting. I have been working with the video medium for many years, continuously experimenting with the expanding possibilities of its artistic applications. My practice is characterized by a persistent curiosity about integrating new technologies into long-term projects, often collaborating with experts from diverse interdisciplinary fields.

 

My professional journey continued in Norway, where I worked as a senior consultant for prestigious art institutions including Atelier Nord and Atopia, while also serving as an instructor at the Noroff Institute and the Nordic Institute of Stage and Studio. This period allowed me to develop valuable international perspectives and collaborative networks.

 

In recognition of my contributions to the field, I was awarded a three-year work grant from the Norwegian government in 2019. Upon returning to Iceland in 2020, I engaged with several significant projects, including interactive projections for Hallgrímskirkja, the "Enlightenment" project at Austurvöllur, and the "Brain" exhibition at Keflavík International Airport. In 2021, I was appointed by the Minister of Education and Culture to serve as a board member of the Artists' Salary Fund.

 

I typically present my video work through interactive art installations or performances in exhibitions or public spaces, which for me become sites for critical reflection on contemporary society's development. Recently, my artistic research has focused on medical records from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing internal biological organs, as well as data from astronomy and mathematical formulas of natural phenomena. Through digital technologies, I transform exact technical data into poetic statements with distinctive choreography, revealing their hidden aesthetic qualities.

 

Currently, I contribute to the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer while maintaining an active creative practice. This flexible arrangement allows me to take on new challenges and collaborative opportunities in the electronic arts field.

 

**Professional Experience**

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**Part-time Lecturer** | Iceland University of the Arts | August 2020 - Present

* Courses in electronic art, video mapping, VR, and interactivity

* Individual consultations and guidance for graduating students

 

**Board Member** | Artists' Salary Fund | 2021

* Advancement and support of the Icelandic arts community

 

**Project Management & Consulting** | Atopia Oslo | August 2014 - December 2018

* Exhibitions and research projects

 

**Technical Consultant** | Atelier Nord Oslo | August 2008 - December 2014

* Technical lab management, workshops, and concept development

 

**Special Effects Instructor** | Noroff | August 2010 - December 2013

* Specialized courses

 

**Animation Instructor** | NISS Nordic Institute of SS | August 2008 - December 2013

* Specialized courses

 

**Independent Researcher** | Norwegian Government Grant | August 2008 - December 2019

* "Brain" project: Artistic research with MRI, exhibitions, and workshops

 

**Director and Instructor** | Iceland University of the Arts | August 1999 - December 2008

* Development and management of new media lab

* Faculty supervision

* Course development and equipment procurement

* Strategic integration of visual arts and music

 

**Education**

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* **Master of Fine Arts**, Sonology, University of the Arts The Hague (Jan 1995 - June 1995)

* **Bachelor of Arts**, Moving Image, AKI ArtEZ Academie voor Art & Design (Jan 1993 - Sep 1995)

* **Arts Degree**, MHÍ Myndlista- og handíðaskóli Íslands (Jan 1989 - Sep 1993)

 

**Awards**

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* **Three-year work grant** from the Norwegian government (2019)

 

**Notable Projects**

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* Interactive projections for Hallgrímskirkja

* "Enlightenment" project at Austurvöllur

* "Brain" exhibition at Keflavík International Airport

* Exhibition design for the Technology Museum in Seyðisfjörður

* 3D-programmed furniture design

* Crystal paintings