Ragnar Kjartansson (b. 1976) is an Icelandic performance artist based in Reykjavík. He studied at the Icelandic Academy of Arts and at the Royal Academy of Arts in Stockholm. Numerous institutions have hosted solo shows for him, including Frankfurter Kunstverein (2011), Migros Museum in Zurich (2012), and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk (2023). In 2009, he participated in the 53rd Venice Biennale. Kjartansson engages multiple artistic mediums, creating video installations, performances, drawings, and paintings that draw upon different historical and cultural references. An underlying pathos and irony connect his works, with each influenced by the comedy and tragedy of classical theater.
