While performing a surprise DJ set at the Venice Biennale last month, Björk announced a new album to be released in 2027. Now, she has also opened Echolalia — a major exhibition at the National Gallery of Iceland, in Reykjavík — which includes new music.
Echolalia will see three large-scale audiovisual installations, including works celebrating Björk’s late mother, as well as “a newly commissioned film and sound installation developed from material connected to her forthcoming musical work.” The exhibition is built around Björk’s 2022 album Fossora, featuring reimagined and theatrical versions of “Ancesstress” and “Sorrowful Soil,” as well as a demo of a song with the current title “Nerve Bloom,” heard below.
The “Ancestress” installation focuses on grief and renewal, honouring the artist’s late mother, while the “Sorrowful Soil” installation features a sound installation that transmits voices from the Hamrahlíð Choir. Attendees of the exhibition will also be able to glimpse inside Björk’s latest work through sound, film and immersive technology.
The exhibition debuted May 30 with Björk wearing a piece by Bottega Veneta. During her surprise appearance at Venice Biennale, the artist also donned a Bottega Veneta ready-to-wear collection by Louise Trotter (perhaps an ode to the new exhibition). If it is anything like that outfit, attendees can be ready for a new, meaningful exhibition honouring the process of grief, music, healing, art and technology.