RAGNAR KJARTANSSON, Think Piece, 2013 [set of Icelandic and English version]
(Það er fallegt en sorglegt að vera manneskja / It is beautiful but sad to be a human being)
each ca 8 x 8 x 10 cm
ball of glass with text, red ribbon with text, cardboard box
Christmas ball in original silver coloured box with small booklets in English and Icelandic
signed in print on each object
limited edition
set of two balls € 240,-

Ragnar Kjartansson says the following about this work:
“It was Christmas night, 1998, and I was sitting in the living room with my father. Everyone else had gone to bed, the candles were burning out, and rain was falling on the Christmas snow outside. My father usually gets a bit drunk at Christmas and feels it’s important to use the festive occasion to instruct his son in the principles of life. This Christmas he was in a particularly good mood. We were smoking cigars and he had a glass of cognac in his hand. Suddenly, his breath heavy, he said: “Ragnar, I need to tell you something, and it is the most important thing that I will ever tell you.” He closed his eyes and there was a long silence. Then he said: “It is beautiful but sad to be a human being.” It had a profound effect on me. Now this truthful contradiction decorates the Globe of Goodwill.”