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This stunning new exhibit at The AGO transports you inside a volcano

Photo via Mathias Berlin / Shutterstock

If getting up close to a volcano is on your travel bucket list, what if we told you that you can do just that without leaving Toronto? The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)’s new exhibit called Jónsi: Hrafntinna (Obsidian) transports you inside a Nordic volcano through light, sound, and smell.

Jónsi is an Icelandic musician turned visual artist who you may recognize from the band Sigur Rós. This exhibition is the world premiere of Jónsi’s artwork in a museum.

His new exhibit is described by the AGO as “an experiential installation full of longing and appreciation for the Nordic landscape that powerfully demonstrates how non-visual senses can transport audiences to different places or trigger different memories.”

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Jónsi was unable to witness the eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland in spring 2021 due to the pandemic and the installation serves as a recreation of the event through sensory experiences.

Hrafntinna is a sixteen-channel composition, played across 195 speakers, accompanied by a sweet and smoky scent, says the AGO.

“Overhead, a single circular light alludes to the summit of the volcano, out of which sound and smell spill like lava, speaking to the intimate poetry of knowing or understanding a place through sense and memory.”

The exhibit opens to the public this Saturday, July 23, with early access for members available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday.

This isn’t the only buzzworthy installation now on display at the AGO. Yayoi Kusama’s permanent infinity mirror room has reopened at the gallery as well, and you can book your timed visit in advance online.