WELCOME TO THE OPENING ON THE 12TH OF MARCH AT 17.00

Something Fishy is a model making kit which consists of cleaned bones from fish heads as well as paint.  It is a pioneering project by designer Róshildur Jónsdóttir in which she presents fish bones as a material for model making. The kit does not contain any specific instruction on what to make, but the shape of the bones lends themselves to making anything from angels to spaceships, monsters or elfs. Surprisingly, the bones have a certain futuristic feel about them and some sort of a resemblance to today´s  prevailing  game and toy culture. At the same time this organically grown product is a fresh alternative to the world of plastic toys and virtual games.

The project started when Róshildur was a student at The Iceland Academy of the Arts. To take something from a prototype to a mass-produced product can be a long journey and along the way many generous experts contributed. Akureyri University offered their knowledge and expertise on using enzyme to clean the bones. Three companies in the north of Iceland, Sero, Norðurströnd and The Tanning Factory, contributed the knowledge and experience necessary to execute the project on big scale.

The product focuses on values such as parents and children spending time together. It stimulates the imagination and fosters creativity at the same time as bringing people into contact with a material that is vital to our existence (if you are an Icelander). The project fits with current efforts to use natural resources to the full.

At the exhibition five artists and designers, as well as Róshildur, have created works from the model making kit. The kit itself is  also presented and available at Spark.

In the old days, Icelandic children used to play with sheep bones. Something Fishy  is a good example of how to take old traditions and bring them into the present using design-thinking and local knowledge. Róshildur and her team have turned a previously discarded local material into a beautiful  product that should appeal to an international market.