Starkaður Sigurdarson will lead the discussion on the evening of Thursday, October 17 at 20:30 at the Living Art Museum, Marshall House. Starkaður Sigurdarson has chosen a submission by Emilia Telese, featured in the 2022 issue of Arts in Iceland Publication to spark discourse about an artist’s economic situation and contributions within Icelandic society. Copies of the publication will be available. 

Author Bio

Emilia Telese is an artist, broadcaster and researcher based in Reykjavík. Born in Italy, she graduated in painting from the Fine Arts Academy in Florence in 1996. Telese also holds a doctorate in social science from the University of Lough-borough, in the United Kingdom, and she has led nationwide debate events about art, politics and social engagement.

From the Text

“In 2022… many countries still find themselves in a situation where the value of artists’ work is considered to be lower than the wage of unskilled labour. Despite artists’ frequent high levels of education, the jobs they find and the salary they receive is well below what would be acceptable in other fields with similar competence.” —Artist’s Socio-Economic Value in Iceland: A Discussion Worth Having 

Click here to read the text.