Vikar Mar’s exhibition Línumál translating to Linear language, held at the Cultural House Hof in Akureyri, extends his ongoing investigation into painting as a site of meaning, perception, and material exploration. The body of work is built upon a distinctive visual language of repeated linear formations, where the line functions as structure and symbol, movement and trace—expanding the possibilities of interpretation beyond traditional frameworks.

The works take inspiration from the concept of undecipherable scripts, revealing how form and arrangement can carry significance without explicit meaning. Rejecting direct symbolism or narrative, Vikar constructs abstract compositions that operate as open systems—a kind of visual grammar that feels systematic yet resists definitive reading.

Repetition is a central device: lines and strokes are methodically arranged into patterns reminiscent of written text, while deliberately avoiding semantic rules. This approach positions the work in an ambiguous space between seeing and reading, allowing uncertainty to become an active element of the viewer’s experience.

Materiality remains intrinsic to the process. Layering, texture, and mark-making generate their own internal narrative, independent of external references. The paintings thus function not as representations, but as spaces where thought, matter, and time converge.

Línumál does not seek to provide fixed answers. Instead, it invites viewers into an open-ended act of engagement—where meaning emerges only through presence, contemplation, and the quiet exchange between artwork and observer.