S.S. Hangover - Ragnar Kjartansson

We are honoured to present, as its Canadian premiere, the screening of S.S. Hangover (2013-2014), a landmark work by Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson and a new acquisition of the Collection Majudia. This kinetic experience, unfolding like a living painting suspended between dream and ritual, is now accessible to the public at Arsenal Contemporary Art.

“Art may be nothing more than a pretext to stay in the dream a little longer.” - Ragnar Kjartansson

Ragnar Kjartansson is a renowned Icelandic multimedia artist based in Reykjavík, celebrated for his captivating video installations, performances, drawings, and paintings. His work explores the intersections of visual art, music, and performance through historical and cultural references that transform repetition into emotional experience. Known for his long-duration performances, often spanning hours or days, Kjartansson creates what he calls “performative sound sculptures,” where endurance, rhythm, and melancholy converge.

Kjartansson’s major solo exhibitions have been presented at leading international institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Barbican Centre in London, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. His practice occupies a central place in contemporary art discourse, bridging poetry, absurdity, and a deep sense of human vulnerability.

One of his most iconic works, S.S. Hangover (2013-2014), merges music, sculpture, and performance into a single floating tableau. The piece stages a restored fishing boat that becomes a theatrical vessel, drifting in circles through the Arsenale at the Venice Biennale. Onboard, six musicians in formal attire perform a haunting score composed by Kjartan Sveinsson, enveloping the audience in a continuous, meditative loop. Through this screening, visitors experience the lyrical atmosphere that defines Kjartansson’s practice a blend of humor, melancholy, and transcendence.

Presented at the 55th Venice Biennale and acclaimed worldwide, S.S. Hangover marked a pivotal moment in Ragnar Kjartansson’s international career. The installation resonates as both a visual and sonic journey, inviting viewers to lose themselves within its cyclical, dreamlike motion.

Arsenal Contemporary Art is honoured to present the exceptional screening of S.S. Hangover (2013-2014) by Ragnar Kjartansson. This mesmerizing work of contemporary art conceived as a living tableau oscillating between dream and ritual invites audiences to experience the artist’s poetic universe in an immersive and contemplative setting.