Jónsi
'Vox'
Inspired by his love of nature, artist and musician Jónsi creates sculptures and installations that not only explore the ways in which people experience sound but also encourage new ways of listening. As the lead singer of the experimental post-rock band Sigur Rós and the “nose” for his family’s perfumerie Fischersund, Jónsi incorporates his own distinctive voice as well as custom fragrances into his artworks to incite wonder and evoke the feeling of being transported to another place and time.
With Vox, Jónsi presents an immersive environment that centers the most universal and original musical instrument — the human voice. The installation translates Jónsi’s otherworldly falsetto into light frequencies, triggering LED panels throughout the gallery that surround viewers as they are enveloped in a grounding scent. Through a complex choreography of senses, Vox offers an atmospheric, visceral encounter that reconnects body and mind with the world around us, while also providing a spiritual respite from everyday life to ponder the power of our innate form of communication.
Inspired by his love of nature, artist and musician Jónsi creates sculptures and installations that not only explore the ways in which people experience sound but also encourage new ways of listening. As the lead singer of the experimental post-rock band Sigur Rós and the “nose” for his family’s perfumerie Fischersund, Jónsi incorporates his own distinctive voice as well as custom fragrances into his artworks to incite wonder and evoke the feeling of being transported to another place and time.
With Vox, Jónsi presents an immersive environment that centers the most universal and original musical instrument — the human voice. The installation translates Jónsi’s otherworldly falsetto into light frequencies, triggering LED panels throughout the gallery that surround viewers as they are enveloped in a grounding scent. Through a complex choreography of senses, Vox offers an atmospheric, visceral encounter that reconnects body and mind with the world around us, while also providing a spiritual respite from everyday life to ponder the power of our innate form of communication.
About the artist
Interdisciplinary artist and musician Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson (b. 1975, Reykjavik, Iceland; lives and works in Los Angeles) grounds his visual practice in material and metaphysical experimentations with sound, often through the engineering of immersive installations that reconfigure the act of listening by means of sight, smell, taste, and touch. Known for synthesizing compositions that are at once ethereal and electrifying, Jónsi employs a tonal palette ranging from ambient sounds and mechanically generated frequencies to samples from nature and his own voice in boundlessly innovative sonic arrangements. Using a perfume organ to develop new and invigorating scents, Jónsi infuses his works with earthy, atmospheric fragrances that are subtle and frequently overlooked. In concert, these seemingly invisible forces redouble on their emotive strengths, leaving the viewer anchored through corporeal engagement while simultaneously transported via their cognitive imaginary.
Since initially gaining international recognition as the lead vocalist for the Icelandic experimental rock band Sigur Rós, Jónsi has collaborated with musicians, visual artists, and filmmakers to create a robust body of work across disciplines, resulting in prestigious awards and critical acclaim. As a visual artist, his solo exhibitions include shows at the Reykjavík Art Museum; Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania, Australia; the National Nordic Museum, Seattle; and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.
Credits
Vox is organized by SCAD Museum of Art assistant curator Brittany Richmond and presented as part of SCAD deFINE ART 2025.
