I am the recipient of the Icelandic Art Prize Motivational Award of the Year 2020 for my ambitious and powerful contribution to the Icelandic art scene.
After graduating in 2016 from the Iceland University of the Arts’ MA program, I have exhibited in various art institutions in Iceland and abroad, such as the 5th International Biennale for Young Art, Deep Inside. In 2021, I presented Attempting the Embrace n°31, a solo exhibition at the Reykjavik Art Museum. While primarily focusing on my art practice, I create interactive set designs for concerts and installations with new media artist Raphaël Alexandre.
I also have a curatorial practice: in 2020, the musician Julius Pollux and I curated Vestur í bláinn, a collective exhibition about immigration in Iceland, spread in different locations in Reykjavík.
I have been a board member of The Living Art Museum (Reykjavik) from 2019 to 2023.
_ Listen to Out There, episode 2 “In the studio with Claire Paugam”, created and produced by the Icelandic Art Center _
︎ upcoming ︎
- As a curator: Crying Pink, group exhibition at Skaftfell Art Center, November 2025
-- ongoing --
- Longing, group exhibition at Sláturhúsið Art Center, Egilsstaðir. Curated by Yael BC, 14/06-27/07/2025
- Sumargleðin, group exhibition at Gallery Port, Reykjavik, 14/06-02/08
education
2016 - Master of Fine Arts
Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavik
2014 - DNAP (National Diploma of Fine Arts, BA degree)
School of Fine Arts of Nantes Métropole, FR
2012 - BTS (two year technical degree) of Graphic Design
Duperré School of Design, Fashion and Creation, Paris, FR
solo and duo exhibitions
2025 - sentiment extra at Alliance Française de Reykjavik (French Cultural Center)
2022 - Essentially Untitled, Ásmundarsalur art space, Reykjavik
2022 - Anywhere but Here, Art space of Mosfellsbær, Iceland
2021 - Attempting the Embrace n°31, solo exhibition part of the D-salur series at the Reykjavik Art Museum, curated by Aldís Snorradóttir
2020 - Shapeless Vibrations, duo exhibition with Valgerður Ýr Walderhaug, Midpunkt Art Space, Kópavogur, Iceland
2019 - Pouring Inside, Off Venue of Sequences IX Art festival, Flaeði Art Space, Reykjavik
2019 - Versatile Uprising, collaboration with Raphaël Alexandre, Wind and Weather Window Gallery, Winter Light Festival, Reykjavik, Iceland
2018 - Slippery Edges, Listastofan Art Space, Reykjavík, Iceland
2018 - Entre des formes incertaines, residency restitution, L'Attrape-couleurs art space, Lyon France
2017 - MIDSCAPE, Listastofan Art Space, Reykjavik, Iceland
group exhibitions
2025 - ongoing - Sumargleðin, Gallery Port, Reykjavik. 14/06-02/08
2025 - ongoing - Longing, Sláturhúsið Art Center, Egilsstaðir, IS
Curated by Yael BC. 14/06/2025
2025 - Veðrun/Weathered, Reykjavik Photography Museum. Curated by Daría Sól Andrews
2024 - lost track, Gallery Port, Reykjavík
2023 - Jólasýningin 2023, Ásmundarsalur Art space, Reykjavik, Iceland
2023 - Milky dreams and pearly wheels, Artrmx e. V., Cologne, Germany
2023 - Skúlptúr / Skúlptúr, Gerðarsafn Art Museum, Kópavogur, Iceland
2023 - INFRA-GLOW, Reykjanes Art Museum, curated by Elise Bergonzi, Hannah Zander & Daria Testoedova
2023 - FRAGMENTS OF OTHER KNOWLEDGE, The Living Art Museum, Reykjavík, curated by Tereza Jindrová and Eva B. Riebová
2022 - Rúllandi Snjóbolti/14, ARS LONGA Museum, Djúpivogur, Iceland
2022 - Young Art from Northern Europe, Neues Kunsthaus, Ahrenshoop, Germany. Curated by Olivia Franke
2021 - Criaturas del Neo-Grotto, Wrong Biennale TV, curated by Infexión Club, Mexico
2021 - Du bout des doigts, Atelier Tramway, Fribourg, Switzerland
curated by Laurie Vannaz & Emilie Lopes Garcia
2021 - First International festival of Manuports, KOHTA Kunsthalle, Helsinki, Finland
2021 - CHEAP Festival, Bologna, Italy
2021 - Blindhæð/Blindspot, Reykjavik City Library, curated by Daria Sól Andrews
2020 - Vestur í bláinn, multidisciplinary collective project about immigration in Iceland, created with Julius Pollux Rothlaender, 10 public locations in Reykjavík
2020 - Le Boudoir / Dyngjan, Alliance Française de Reykjavik
2019 - Exxistenz - Skynlistasafnið, Opening exhibition, Reykjavik
Curated by Johanne Christensen and Serena Swanson
2019 - WE RUINED EVERYTHING, group exhibition co-curated with Martyna Daniel, Listastofan Art Space, Reykjavik
2019 - The Factory #4, group exhibition, collaboration with Raphaël Alexandre, The Factory, Djúpavík, Iceland. Curated by Emilie Dalum
2019 - + ou - SEXE, Galerie B+, Lyon, France. Curated by Gilles Maignaud
2018 - SEX SELF, Ekkisens art space, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Curated by Maria-Carmela Rasso, Katerina Blahutova & myself
2018 - 16e Biennale d'arts actuels - 16th Biennale of contemporary arts - CRAC Champigny-sur-Marne, France
2018 - Líkamleiki, Icelandic Photography Festival, Gerðarsafn Kópavogur Art Museum, Iceland. Curated by Brynja Sveinsdóttir
2017 - Salon Parcours d'Artistes 2017 Art Festival, Les Passerelles, Pontault-Combault, France. Curated by Marcus Philippe
2017 - PLAN-B, International Art Festival, Borganes, Iceland
2016 - Deep Inside, 5th International Biennale for Young Art, Trekhogornaya Manufactory, Moscow. Curated by Nadim Samman
2016 - Fine Art/Design Degree Show MA 2016, Gerðarsafn Art museum of Kópavogur, Iceland. Curated by Daníel Björnsson
2016 - …[BÆNG]…, old Kling og Bang gallery, Reykjavik
2015 - Lets the Flavour Flow, old Kling og Bang gallery, Reykjavik
2015 - Ahh now it all makes sense, Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavik
2015 - CLAIRE MATHILDE ZUZANA, Kaffistofa gallery, Reykjavik
2014 - Première tentative, Collectif Nu(L), Nantes, France
2013 - Rattrapage, Dulcie Gallery, Nantes, France
2013 - Archiculture, festival of Art and Architecture, Ecole Supérieure Nationale d'Architecture de Nantes, France
curatorial CV
2023 - Milky dreams and pearly wheels, Artrmx e. V., Cologne, Germany. Curated with Christopher Gerberding
2022 - Unraveling realities, MA in Fine Arts graduation exhibition of the Iceland University of the Arts, The Living Art Museum, Reykjavik
2021 - They have no pictures on the walls, solo exhibition of Lukas Bury with a contribution by Weronika Balcerak, RÝMD, Reykjavik
2020 - Vestur í bláinn, multidisciplinary collective project about immigration in Iceland,
created and curated with Julius Pollux Rothlaender, 10 public locations in Reykjavík
2020 - Le Boudoir / Dyngjan, group exhibition, Alliance Française de Reykjavik (French Council), Reykjavik
2020 - Regenerate #2 - Physical Newness, group exhibition curated with Maria-Carmela Raso, Gallery Port, Reykjavik
2019 - WE RUINED EVERYTHING group exhibition co-curated with Martyna Daniel, Listastofan Art Space, Reykjavik
2019 - assistant of curator Becky Forsythe for the group exhibition Soft Landing - graduation show of the Master of Fine Arts from the Iceland University of the Arts , The Living Art Museum, Reykjavik
2018 - SEX SELF group exhibition co-curated with Maria-Carmela Raso & Katherina Blahutova, Ekkisens Art Space, Reykjavík, Iceland
2017 - Chapter One - Water (The Spirit of Man) Aishling Muller's solo exhibition, Listastofan Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland
2016 - Collective curation …[BÆNG]…, a collaboration between students from the Iceland Academy of the Arts and the Media Art School of Cologne, old Kling og Bang gallery, Reykjavik
2015 - Collective curation Lets the Flavour Flow, old Kling og Bang gallery, Reykjavik
2015 - Collective curation Ahh now it all makes sense, Listaháskóli Íslands, Reykjavik
2015 - assistant of Hulda Stefansdóttir for Dynamics of Darkness in the North, The Nordic House, Reykjavik
talks
︎ I give talks for all my solo exhibitions and most collective exhibitions I take part in ︎
2024 - Artist talk for Lost Track at Gallery Port, hosted by writer Sjón, with artists Baldur Helgason and Loji Höskuldson
2021 - Visit of Attempting the Embrace n°31 with the artist, presentation of my solo exhibition at the Reykjavik Art Museum to the students of the MA of Curatorial practice of the Iceland University of the Arts
2021 - Volcanoplastie - rencontre avec Claire Paugam, Ecole Supérieure des Arts de la Réunion, Reunion Island, France
2021 - Meeting Claire Paugam, studio visit for the students of the Photography School of Reykjavik
2020 - Collaborations in Contemporary Art: Claire Paugam & Julius Pollux
talk about our collaboration and our exhibition Vestur í bláinn, a conversation with Hannah Styrmisdóttir
Iceland University of the Arts
2020 - Vestur í bláinn - Artists’ talk, with Bára Bjanadóttir, Úavon, Hugo Llanes and Eva Bjanadóttir at the Reykjavik City Library - Grófinn
2020 - Vestur í bláinn - Artist talk, with Ewa Marcinek at the Reykjavik City Library - Gerðuberg
2019 - Meeting Claire Paugam, talk about my art practice to the MA Design students of the Iceland University of the Arts
2019 - Embodying Experiences talk with curator Brynja Sveinsdóttir for HugarFlug, the Iceland University of the Arts annual conference
2018 - Meeting Claire Paugam, talk about my art practice to the MA and 3rd year BA fine arts students of the Iceland Academy of the Arts
2017 - Rencontre avec Claire Paugam, Ecole Supérieure des Arts de la Réunion, Reunion Island, France
2017 - Rencontre avec Claire Paugam, lycée Victor Duruy, Paris, France
2016 - Exhibiting at the Young Art Biennale for the MA students of Fine Arts of the Iceland Academy of the Arts, with María Dalberg and Veronika Geiger
artist residencies
2024 - Skaftfell Art Center, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
2022 - Künstlerhaus Lukas, Ahrenshoop, Germany
2018 - Röstin Residency, Þórshöfn, Iceland
2018 - L'Attrape-couleurs, art space, Lyon, France
2017 - SASSO Artist Residency, Vairano, Switzerland
2016 - NES Artist Residency, Skagaströnd, Iceland
set designs
2024 - Our daily apocalypse walk, release concert of MSEA, Tjarnarbíó Theater, Reykjavik
2022 - Haldalda, Mengi Art space, Reykjavik
Created with Raphaël Alexandre, a collaboration with composer and musician Sóley Sigurjónsdóttir and cellist Heiður Lára Bjarnadóttir
2019 - BLESS BLESS Listastofan, Iðnó concert hall, Reykjavik
Created with Raphaël Alexandre
2019 - LungA Warm Up party, Iðnó concert hall, Reykjavik
Created with Raphaël Alexandre
2019 - MSEA EP release party, Iðnó concert hall, Reykjavik
Created with Raphaël Alexandre
2018 - Weird Kids #5, Mengi Art Space, Reykjavik
Created with Raphaël Alexandre
video screenings
2024 - Criaturas del Neo-Grotto, Bar Ambient, curated by Infexión Club, Mexico city
2021 - Criaturas del Neo-Grotto, Wrong Biennale TV, curated by Infexión Club, Mexico
2018 - Attempting the Embrace n°27, Skotleyfi á skynfærin: Videotek #2, Húrra, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Curated by Birkir Karlsson
2016 - Attempting the Embrace n°28, with dancer Lydia Zimmer, Borginn, Skagaströnd, Iceland
grants
2024 - Icelandic Visual Arts Fund / Myndlistarsjóður, IS
2023 - Icelandic Art Center Travel Grant, IS
2023 - Muggur Travel Grant, IS
2022 - Icelandic Visual Arts Fund / Myndlistarsjóður, IS
2022 - Artist salary - 6 months, IS
2021 - Myndstef, IS
2021 - Artist salary, 6 months, IS
2020 - Myndstef, IS
2020 - Icelandic Visual Arts Fund / Myndlistarsjóður, IS
other
Member of: - SÍM (Visual art association, IS)
- FÍSL (contemporary photographers’ association, IS)
- Myndhoggvarafélagið (sculptors’ association, IS)
2024 - Attempting the Embrace n°25 entered the public collection of The Living Art Museum, IS
2019 -> 2023 - Board member of The Living Art Museum, Reykjavik, IS
2021 - Design of the RVK Feminist Film Festival awards 2021
2020 - Motivational Award, Icelandic Art Prize
2017 - Teacher assistant of Esther Hoareau at L’Ecole Supérieure d’Art de la Réunion, Reunion Island, FR