Thordur Hans

Thordur Hans

Thordur Hans Baldursson (*1992, Iceland) is a multidisciplinary artist currently residing in the Netherlands. He graduated in 2023 from the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague, where he specialized in ArtScience. His work merges performance, sculpture, and installation, creating what he calls "living installations." These dynamic pieces often blur the boundary between human performers and static objects, forcing viewers to reconsider the ordinary functions of the objects and systems that surround them.

Artistic Approach
Thordur’s practice revolves around the familiar and mundane, with a focus on how subtle gestures or everyday items can transform into art. His work explores the performative potential of static objects, such as in his piece Queue/Cue, where a car wash brush becomes the central performer, dancing in response to live music. Similarly, The Men’s Choir in the Wall features ties moving rhythmically to recorded voices, creating a fusion between object and sound. Through such works, Thordur examines the role of objects in our daily lives, pushing them beyond their functional limits to reveal their artistic possibilities.

Material Exploration and Performative Sculpture
His work often involves a deep interrogation of materiality and function. In many of his pieces, objects like gas pump handles or car wash brushes are recontextualized, inviting new interpretations of their aesthetic and symbolic value. The collaboration between these everyday objects and live performers offers a fluid experience, where neither performer nor object holds dominance, but instead exists in a symbiotic relationship.

Education

• 2019–2023: Bachelor of Arts, ArtScience, Royal Academy of Art (KABK), The Hague
• 2012–2016: Bachelor of Science, Software Engineering, Reykjavik University, Iceland

 Collections

• AFK, Mondriaan Fund
• Nieuw Dakota, Amsterdam

Exhibitions

• Akureyri Art Museum, 2025

• Kunstenlab, Denver, 2024

• Nieuw Dakota, Amsterdam, 2024
• Trixie, Den Haag, 2024
• Reykjavik Art Museum, 2024
• Huidenclub, Rotterdam, 2023
• De Sterrentuin — Ketelstraat 23, The Hague, 2022

• Plan B Festival, Borgarnes, 2020

• MMMM festival, Reykjavik, 2018
• DesignMarch, Reykjavik, 2016