Fish Factory - Creative Centre

Fish Factory - Creative Centre Fish Factory - Creative Centre of Stöðvarfjörður, East Iceland This is an ongoing collaborative and community project. We run a Residency Program.

The Creative Centre of Stöðvarfjörður was established in 2011 when a group of people acquired the abandoned Fish Factory of the village, with the aim of transforming it into a thriving place of creativity, music and craftmanship. Our actions and aims are based on sustainable principles and alternative methods. The Centre is located in Stöðvarfjörður, a remote village in the East fjords of Iceland

. The Residency is multi-disciplinary and open for most creative directions. The purpose of the program is to provide emerging and established artists, creatives, designers and progressive thinkers a port for free expression. We offer access to a range of studios and work facilities, and a place to meet with other creative people in a small collaborative community. For more info send us a line at [email protected]

We are currently building a professional Analog and Digital Recording Studio called Studio Silo in the centre. The studio is designed by John H. Brandt and will be open to all Musicians and Sound Artist. For more info, pictures and videos visit: www.facebook.com/studiosiloinhere

The centre has a large Concert Hall and we frequently throw concerts there with Icelandic and International Musicians. If you are interested in performing in our Hall you can send us a line at [email protected]. Many of our Residency Artist, Interns and Volunteers have performed there during their stay.

Peter Klett is an artist based in Washington State, USA.Through video, photography, sound, and woodworking, my work refl...
13/06/2025

Peter Klett is an artist based in Washington State, USA.

Through video, photography, sound, and woodworking, my work reflects on the layered ambiguities of our relationships—with ourselves, those around us, the things we carry, and the environments we inhabit—and how these entanglements guide and complicate our search for meaning.
During my residency, I began working on a short video titled An Apprenticeship in Unknowing, which unfolded through impressionistic imagery, field recordings, and improvised music—all captured in and around the studio. Shaped by an attentiveness to embodied perception and the shifting nature of memory, the work invites viewers along a series of sensory vignettes where clarity gives way to presence and unknowing becomes its own form of attention.

Running alongside this work were regular spoon-carving sessions with my fellow residents, which became an integral counterpoint. These moments came to ground my days in the studio, acting as a medium for apprehension to be chipped away and for new ideas to quietly accumulate.

Thank you to my hosts Kris and Lukas; to everyone in and around the town of Stöðvarfjörður; and to my fellow residents Adele, Elise, Fien, Lulu, Marina, and Naomi. I am humbled by your kindness and generosity.

Full Bio:https://fishfactory.is/2025/06/peter-klett/

Fien Brakkee is a multimedia artist based in the Netherlands. Her work is a poetic and sensitive exploration of the phys...
11/06/2025

Fien Brakkee is a multimedia artist based in the Netherlands. Her work is a poetic and sensitive exploration of the physical and spiritual relations between the landscapes that surround us and the landscapes that live within us. (...)Fien hopes for her work to create opportunities to slow down and pay attention to the tender and still things that our harsh, fast paced and chaotic society tend to rush past.
My time at Fish Factory was immensely glorious. It is hard to express the depth of impact it has had on me as an artist and also as a human being. Being here in this grand landscape has felt like meeting the earth in her most pure, wild and free form. Witnessing that and being among it has allowed me to grow, soften, connect, love, explore and experiment in ways I could have never imagined.
During my two month residency I followed the flow of days and the curiosity in my hands. I did many different things such as: continued my growing love for ceramics by handbuilding works and learning how to throw on the wheel, creating many cyanotypes with gatherings from the land, learning how to felt with Icelandic wool, carving my first spoon and writing, drawing and playing around endlessly.
It was freeing to just spend my time making, without purpose or pressure. To follow my intuition and the inspiration this landscape gifted me. It opened up an opportunity to reflect on previous work, recognize the themes and wonderings that tie them all together and deepen those explorations further. The result is a body of work that feels like a beginning of things coming together and that fills me with excitement to continue on this path being here has set me on.

Looking back I will remember the beautiful walks and drives, many deep and sensitive conversations, the warm hugs and the laughs, the snow on the mountains, the singing birds at night, the dancing aurora in the sky, a glimpse of the midnight sun and making friends for life.
Leaving is hard but I go with bags full of inspiration and a heart full of tenderness and warmth. Thank you so much.

Full Bio: https://fishfactory.is/2025/06/fien-brakkee/

my month long residency at fish factory was an entirely unexpected journey.before getting here, i was at a residency in ...
26/05/2025

my month long residency at fish factory was an entirely unexpected journey.

before getting here, i was at a residency in rural finland, wondering where i would go next. in the quiet winter and a deep conversation with my grandpa rock friend, i asked myself:

“if i don’t have to worry about money or anything, where would i want to be in this world?”

the answer emerged almost immediately:
i want to go play with clay in iceland.

so by the time i arrived at fish factory, i had about $100 in my pocket.
this was the wildest way, even for a traveling artist, to follow nothing but my intuition to this magical, eerie place.

i spent the entire month basking in iceland’s strangeness, held in complete acceptance by my residency mates, diving deep into play with my inner child and other spirit beings.

my art is all about healing with my inner child and making art together with her.
this month, we sat together and decided to unpack a layer of memories and quiet grief surrounding my queerness.

we joined songwriting circles, shared stories of spirit encounters, spent long hours in the ceramics studios, and basked in the warmest, most vulnerable kind of conversations.

this place didn’t just accept my weirdness ———
it reminded me how sacred it is to be bathed in it.

fish factory embraced me unconditionally and gave me space to tell the stories that had been waiting to surface.

thank you, fish factory & my march residency mates!

Full Bio: https://fishfactory.is/2025/05/seiu-yang/

Basking in the sunshine and enjoying what may be the finest May since the Vikings first settled this fjord. Meet our May...
21/05/2025

Basking in the sunshine and enjoying what may be the finest May since the Vikings first settled this fjord. Meet our May cohort, starting from the top left:

Lex Lindsay, Adele Dumont, Fien Brakkee, Nicole Barley, Niamh Campbell-Ward, Shelley Simpson

16/05/2025

*English below // Polski poniżej*
Keramiksmiðja fyrir börn í Sköpunarmiðstöðinni á Stöðvarfirði laugardaginn, þann 24. maí. Smiðjan er fyrir börn 10 ára og eldri.
Skráningargjald: 5.500 kr. (til að standa straum af efniskostnaði)
Takmörkuð pláss í boði og skráning fer fram á netfanginu [email protected] (nafn barns og forráðamanns, kennitala og símanúmer).

Í smiðjunni fá þátttakendur einstakt tækifæri til að kynnast heillandi heimi keramiklistar. Leiðbeinandi kynnir helstu aðferðir og efni sem notuð eru í keramik, og svo fá þátttakendur að spýta í lófana og prófa sjálf að móta leirinn, þreifa á formunum og skapa sín eigin persónulegu verk frá grunni. Hvort sem þú ert byrjandi eða með smá reynslu er þetta frábært tækifæri til að sleppa sköpunargleðinni lausri og upplifa hvernig það er að vinna með leir í notalegu og hvetjandi umhverfi.

Leiðbeinandi smiðjunnar er Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson, listamaður sem hefur dvalið í Þórsmörk í rannsóknardvöl og unnið að sínum eigin skúlptúrum.
//
Ceramics Workshop for Children at the Creative Center in Stöðvarfjörður – Saturday, May 24th
This workshop is for children aged 10 and up.
Registration fee: 5,500 ISK (to cover material costs).
Limited spots available. Register by emailing [email protected] with the child’s name and guardian’s name, kennitala, and phone number.

In the workshop, participants will get a unique opportunity to explore the fascinating world of ceramics. The instructor will introduce the basic techniques and materials used in ceramics, and then it's time to get hands-on, children will roll up their sleeves, shape the clay, experiment with forms, and create their very own personal pieces from scratch. Whether your child is a complete beginner or has some experience, this is a fantastic chance to unleash creativity and discover the joy of working with clay in a warm and inspiring environment.

The workshop is led by Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson, an artist who is currently doing a research residency in Þórsmörk, where he works on his own sculptural projects.
//
Warsztaty ceramiczne dla dzieci w Centrum Twórczym w Stöðvarfjörður – sobota, 24 maja
Warsztaty są przeznaczone dla dzieci w wieku od 10 lat.
Opłata rejestracyjna: 5.500 ISK (na pokrycie kosztów materiałów).
Liczba miejsc ograniczona. Zgłoszenia należy przesyłać na adres [email protected], podając imię i nazwisko dziecka oraz opiekuna, numer kennitala i numer telefonu.

Podczas warsztatów uczestnicy będą mieli wyjątkową okazję, aby poznać fascynujący świat ceramiki. Instruktor zaprezentuje podstawowe techniki i materiały używane w ceramice, a następnie dzieci same zakasają rękawy, uformują glinę, poeksperymentują z kształtami i stworzą własne, unikalne dzieła od podstaw. Niezależnie od tego, czy dziecko dopiero zaczyna swoją przygodę z ceramiką, czy ma już pewne doświadczenie, to doskonała okazja, by wyzwolić kreatywność i poczuć radość tworzenia w przyjaznym i inspirującym otoczeniu.

Warsztaty poprowadzi Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson, artysta, który obecnie odbywa rezydencję badawczą w Þórsmörk, gdzie pracuje nad własnymi projektami rzeźbiarskimi.

16/05/2025
(english below)Það er okkur mikill heiður að tilkynna að Sköpunarmiðstöðin á Stöðvarfirði hefur hlotið Eyrarrósina 2025 ...
15/05/2025

(english below)

Það er okkur mikill heiður að tilkynna að Sköpunarmiðstöðin á Stöðvarfirði hefur hlotið Eyrarrósina 2025 — landsviðurkenningu sem síðan 2005 hefur heiðrað framúrskarandi menningarverkefni utan höfuðborgarsvæðisins. Frá upphafi hafa Listahátíð í Reykjavík, Byggðastofnun og Icelandair staðið saman að viðurkenningunni. Verndari Eyrarrósarinnar er hr. Björn Skúlason, maki forseta.

Þessi viðurkenning markar stóran áfanga fyrir verkefni sem hófst í óvissu og dafnaði þrátt fyrir mótlæti. Þegar gamla frystihúsið – stærsti vinnustaður þorpsins – lokaði, stóð húsið autt og framtíð þess óviss. Í stað þess að láta það grotna niður sameinaðist hópur vina og vann af eldmóði, skýrri sýn og án launa í meira en áratug að því að umbreyta því í lifandi menningar- og samfélagsrými.

Í dag er Sköpunarmiðstöðin heimili listafólks hvaðanæva úr heiminum, vettvangur líflegra viðburða og samstarfs sem spanna kynslóðir og listgreinar. Hún styður listsköpun, hýsir listamannadvöl, býður upp á námskeið í keramiki og hljóðvinnslu og veitir rými fyrir tilraunir, þekkingarmiðlun og vöxt.

Í upphafi höfðum við hvorki verulega fjármögnun né öfluga bakhjarla. Það sem við höfum haft er fólk – listamenn, vinir og
gott fólk Stöðvarfjarðar – sem trúði á hugmyndina og lagði fram tíma sinn, orku og kærleika til að gera hana að veruleika. Þessi viðurkenning er þeirra.

Við erum ólýsanlega þakklát.

— Teymi Fish Factory, núverandi og fyrrverandi

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We are deeply honoured to share that the Creative Centre in Stöðvarfjörður has been awarded Eyrarrósin 2025 - the national distinction that, since 2005, celebrates outstanding cultural projects outside Iceland’s capital region. The award is a collaboration between Reykjavik Arts Festival, The Icelandic Regional Development Institute and Icelandair.

This recognition is a profound moment for a project that began with uncertainty and grew against the odds. When the old fish factory - the village’s largest workplace - closed its doors, the building stood empty, its future unclear. But instead of letting it fall into disrepair, a group of friends came together, working with dedication, vision and no pay for over a decade to transform it into a living cultural space.

Today, the Creative Centre is home to artists from around the world, vibrant community events, and local collaborations that span generations and disciplines. It supports artistic creation, hosts residencies, offers workshops in ceramics and sound, and provides space for experimentation, exchange, and growth.

At the beginning, we didn’t have substantial funding or powerful backers. What we’ve had is people - artists, friends, and the community of Stöðvarfjörður - who believed in the idea and gave their time, energy, and love to make it real. This award is for them.

We are grateful beyond words.

— The Fish Factory team, past and present

Martina Solárová Pauleová is a visual artist from Slovakia. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava in...
12/05/2025

Martina Solárová Pauleová is a visual artist from Slovakia. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava in 1998. In her life, she has welcomed her sunny sons: Tadeáš, Martin, and Kristian.

In my recent work, the passage of time and shifts in scale play a central role. The piece is composed of layered paintings, photographs, and drawings.

Here at the Fish Factory residency, I’ve been working on a project called Invisible Tattoo. It’s about the stories we all carry inside — the ones no one else can see. Black and white photos of my dad on a ski trip as a student are hidden in the cat’s whiskers. This is a tattoo of happiness.

Thank you to all the friends I met here and to the Fish Factory! 🦭💘
Scott, Charlotte, Risa, Seiu, Shann, Alex, and Kris :)

full profile: https://fishfactory.is/2025/05/martina-solarova-pauleova-2/

Address

Bankastræti 1
Stöðvarfjörður
755

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