Ragnar Kjartansson was born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1976. He studied at the Iceland Academy of Arts and the Royal Swedish Academy in Stockholm. His works have been shown in museums and institutions around the world, including the Arthouse at the Jones Center in Austin (2011), the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston (2012) and the Hangar Bicocca in Milan (2013). Recently, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary in Vienna (2013 and 2014) and the New Museum in New York (2014) presented solo shows of Kjartansson’s works. In 2009, Kjartansson represented Iceland at the Venice Biennale, and in 2011 he received the Malcolm McLaren Award at Performa 13 in New York.
