The visual artist Sæmundur Þór Helgason has been selected from a pool of applicants for a residency at the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) in New York in the summer of 2026. The residency spans three months and is funded by the Icelandic Visual Arts Council.
Sæmundur Þór works across various cultural mediums, including filmmaking, finance, fashion, and media. His works often turn contemporary culture inward, influencing the public imagination and becoming an active force in society. In 2025, Sæmundur founded the loan fund ‘Stichting SB’ in Amsterdam, which provides interest-free loans. He held a residency at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam from 2020 to 2022.
In New York, resident artists are provided with a spacious private studio. During the residency, ISCP organizes regular studio visits from curators and professionals in the field. Artists also visit museums and other exhibition venues and attend lectures when available. Artists in residence at ISCP gain access to a strong international network of curators, museum staff, journalists, and others working in the arts sector.
Sæmundur Þór is the third artist to have been selected for ISCP. This summer, Melanie Ubaldo is in New York, and the year before that, Kristín Helga Ríkharðsdóttir was in residence at the institution.
Sæmundur Þór Helgason, photo: Verena Blok
Solar Plexus Pressure Belt G2, 2023, Courtesy of the Artist.
Why is Iceland so Poor?, 2024, The Living Art Museum, Courtesy of the Artist.
Mantis, 2022, Courtesy of the Artist.
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