I am a French artist (born 1991) based in Reykjavík, Iceland.
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 stage designs for concerts and installations with new media artist Raphaël Alexandre. I also have a curatorial practice (often collaboration-based): 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 _




:::: ongoing ::::

lost track, collective exhibition at Gallery Port, Reykjavík. 02/03-27/03



︎  upcoming  ︎


2024 - Artist Residency at Skaftfell Art Center, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland. 03-28/06

2025 - Icelandic Photography Festival, more info soon



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, France

2012 - BTS (two year technical degree) of Graphic Design, Duperré School of Design, Fashion and Creation, Paris, France


solo and duo exhibitions

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

2024 - ongoinglost track, Gallery Port, Reykjavík. 02/03-27/03

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 projects

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 ︎

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 - upcoming - Skaftfell Art Center, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland. 03-28/06

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


stage designs with Raphaël Alexandre

2022 - Haldalda, Mengi Art space, Reykjavik. A collaboration with composer and musician Sóley Sigurjónsdóttir and cellist Heiður Lára Bjarnadóttir

2019 - BLESS BLESS Listastofan, Iðnó concert hall, Reykjavik

2019 - LungA Warm Up party, Iðnó concert hall, Reykjavik

2019 - MSEA EP release party, Iðnó concert hall, Reykjavik

2018 - Weird Kids #5, Mengi Art Space, Reykjavik


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
2023 - Icelandic Art Center Travel Grant, IS

2023 - Muggur Travel Grant, IS

2022 - Myndlistarsjóður: production grant, IS

2022 - Artist salary - 6 months, IS

2021 - Myndstef, IS

2021 - Artist salary, 6 months, IS

2020 - Myndstef, IS

2020 - Myndlistarsjóður: production grant, IS


other
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, France

Claire Paugam © 2023