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ABOUT US

Uggi alone, cut from chair picture.jpg

What, how and why.

Uggi lights were first exhibited as an installation of 14 fish lamps, sand and feathers in The Museum of Decorative Arts in Copenhagen in 2001 under the name “The bird that flew away and left time behind”. The installation was a reflection on our Icelandic heritage and cultural identity. 

The lights have since then been exhibited by numerous galleries and museums in Europe and USA such as Guggenheim in Berlin, FNAC in Paris, The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC, Scandinavian House in New York, The International Design Biennale in St.Etienne and the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik.

The work referes to the old Icelandic tradition of drying whole fish. The fish was hung up on special wood constructions where the winds would dry them. This architecture was very visible in the landscape in the coast areas up to modern days. Dried fish or Stock fish was an important export product in Iceland for centuries as well as being highly appreciated by Icelanders for consumption. This method of preserving fish has been unchanged since the settlement in Iceland and is still practiced for export in some rural areas.

Dried fish as a snack, is still appreciated and can be bought everywhere in Iceland.

FAQ

 

How do you make them?

 

The lights are made by skinning the fish by hand and then cleaning the skin. The skin is then shaped in the original form and dried before putting the light in. All the work is done by hand and the process from fresh fish to the finished light takes up to 3 weeks.

 

Uggi is usually around 100cm in length and is made of big fish that can be hard to get.

 

What is Uggi?

 

Uggi means a fish fin in Icelandic.

 

What happens to the fish meat?

 

The fish is fresh when its skinned and after the skin has carefully been removed by hand it continues its journey through the cutting and packaging in the fish factory which means no waste.

 

How many do you make?

 

The production is limited, and we usually make the by order. 

 

Can I buy them and how much do they cost?

 

It is possible to order an Uggi on

info@uggilights.com

 

We have a few lights in stock in Iceland, Norway and Denmark where we currently live.

The price starts at 790 euros 

 

You can also get them from our exclusive partners:

 

Iceland:

Design shop Kraum in Reykjavik.

www.kraum.is

England:

The Fish Society

http://www.thefishsociety.co.uk

 

The artists

 

Fanney Antonsdóttir

From Hrísey

Iceland

 

Educated at MHÍ in Reykjavik Iceland, Danmarks Designskole in Copenhagen, Denmark and at Nordic Institute for Stage and Studio in Norway. Fanney works with design, art and graphics.

Fanney currently lives and works in Oslo, Norway.

 

Dögg Guðmundsdóttir

From Reykjavik

Iceland

 

Educated from Istituto Europio di design in Milano, Italy and in Danmarks Designskole in Copenhagen, Denmark. Dögg makes furniture and design objects. Among companies producing her design are Ligne-roset and Christofle in France.

Dögg currently lives and workes in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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