Lend me wings - open house at the Telegraph Station

The exhibition "Lend me wings. The life and impact of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir", former President of Iceland, at the Telegraph Station in Suðurgata, will be open to the public on 16 and 17 March between 12 and 4 pm. The programme alongside the opening will be diverse and free of charge.

A formal opening takes place on Friday 15 March at 3 pm. In addition to Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, President of Iceland will be present with Katrín Jakobsdóttir Prime Minister as well as other members from the Icelandic Governemnt. There is a live stream from the opening.

The exhibition at the Telegraph Station, sheds light on Vigdís's upbringing, her life, her work, and the significant impact she had during her presidency of Iceland, as well as the considerable global attention her election attracted. The exhibition includes Vigdís' contributions to environmental conservation, the arts, human rights issues, gender equality, and to language and culture both domestically and internationally.

The exhibition displays artworks, clothing, letters, documents, and photographs from various periods of Vigdís's life, all of which are part of her donation to the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages at the University of Iceland. Emphasis is placed on presenting the story of Vigdís's life and impact in a lively manner for the benefit and enjoyment of both the general public and scholars.

Diverse programme this opening weekend

The exhibition will be open to the public on 16 and 17 March from 12 to 4 pm, and alongside the opening, a diverse programme will be ongoing for people of all ages at Veröld – The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute.

The programme on Saturday 16 March in Veröld

• 12:15-2 pm in rooms 007 and 008 – Family workshop with Silja Jónsdóttir where participants have the opportunity to create a small grove by planting trees and Vigdís's favourite flowers. All that is need for the grove will be made from paper, allowing both young and old to unleash their creativity.
• 1 - 2.30 pm in Vigdís's Room -
• Eight young people will read their own poetry in Icelandic and other language to celebrate the diversity endorsed by Veröld. Performing are Alec Elías Sigurðarson, Ása Þorsteinsdóttir, Jana Björg Þorvaldsdóttir, Karólína Rós Ólafsdóttir, Ragnheiður Guðjónsdóttir, Steinunn Kristín Guðnadóttir, Sölvi Halldórsson and Unnar Ingi Sæmundarson. The event is organised by Yrkjur, creative writing colletive comprised of Ása Þorsteinsdóttir, Eyrún Úa Þorbjörnsdóttir, Jana Björg Þorvaldsdóttir, Ragnheiður Guðjónsdóttir, and Steinunn Kristín Guðnadóttir.
• 3 -4 pm in the exhibition hall of "Mál í mótun" – Mikael Nils Lind, musician and adjunct in Swedish at the University of Iceland, performs an original musical composition where the rhythm of different languages resonates with the exhibition "Mál í mótun". In the piece, the languages flow into each other and become part of the musical composition, functioning like a fluid installation without clear boundaries of beginning and end.

Programme Sunday 17 March in Veröld

• 12.15 - 2 pm in rooms 007 and 008 - Lecture and family workshop on the Telegraph Station and Morse code communication. Professors Kristinn Andersen and Sæmundur Þorsteinsson, both members of the Icelandic Radio Amateurs Association, will educate us about Morse code. In the room next door the artist Anna Júlía Friðbjörnsdóttir will host a family workshop where Morse code will be creatively explored.
• 2 - 3.30 in Auður room - Ten distinguished individuals will honor Vigdís with lectures that depict her life and work in different ways. These are Páll Valsson, Guðfinnur Guðjón Sigurvinsson, Jóhanna Vigdís Hjaltadóttir, Andri Snær Magnason, Heimir Már Pétursson, Guðrún Pálsdóttir, Auður Hauksdóttir, Ásdís Rósa Magnúsdóttir, Aþena Vigdís Eggertsdóttir, Harpa Þórsdóttir, Irma Jóhanna Erlingsdóttir and Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir. Brynhildur Guðjónsdóttir, Artistic Director at Borgarleikhússins, chairs. This event will be livestreamed

The exhibitions "Mál í mótun" at Veröld and "Gildi orðanna" on the ground floor of the Telegraph Station will be open.

The café Súpustöðin in Veröld will also be open.

After the weekend, the exhibition will be open from Wednesday to Saturday, from 1 to 5 PM, and admission will initially be free of charge.