Stunning Icelandic Sculptures Free to View at Mission Hill

Sculpture in the main courtyard at Mission Hill Family Estate winery. Sculpture Name: “Place” (Photo Credit: Mission Hill Family Estate)

A unique display is featured at Mission Hill Family Estate that brings Iceland to the Okanagan.

The ‘Encounters with Iceland’ is a major sculpture exhibition featuring the works of Icelandic artist Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir. From now until October 2014 the interpretive exhibition will feature more than 40 large scale sculptures, the largest exhibition of the artist’s works ever in North America.

The icon ‘Encounter’ corten sculpture leans precariously on a base of Icelandic granite at the base of Mission Hill’s 12-story bell tower. Sculpture Name: “Encounter” (Photo Credit: Mission Hill Family Estate)

The sculptures are open to the public for viewing and are displayed throughout the winery grounds as well as in interior spaces, including in the underground barrel cellar.

Matching figures encased in corten steel - a dramatic first impression for visitors entering Mission Hill Family Estate through the winery’s Keystone entry, itself a work of art, a 20 ton block of Indiana limestone carved by a master Welsh stonemason. Sculpture Name: “Movement” (Photo Credit: Mission Hill Family Estate)

Thórarinsdóttir travelled to the winery to personally place each piece in the most ideal setting and was on hand for the exhibition’s official opening ceremony.

Twin sculptures, one in corten steel - the other aluminum, sit tranquilly overlooking the spectacular Lake Okanagan. Sculpture Names: “Flow 1 & 2” (Photo Credit: Mission Hill Family Estate)

"My works explore the human condition in all its variety and how man relates to the environment and to each other," explains Thórarinsdóttir. "Often a dialogue between the viewer and the work is formed with a tactile and personal interaction as the figures occupy the same space as we do. The aim is to leave a lot to the imagination and experience of the viewer. Each piece is firmly rooted in my Icelandic origin, reflecting the power and proximity of the elements."

At the main gate at Mission Hill Family Estate, two life size sculptures climb the winery’s massive battered wall attempting to join the exhibition inside. Sculpture Names: “Echo 1 & 2” (Photo Credti: Mission Hill Family Estate)

It is free to visit the winery and take in the exhibition which combines the rugged landscape and beauty of nature with the rich and vibrant displays.

As you enter the courtyard, guests are surprised by the life size aluminum sculpture sitting in the winery’s 17th Century Renaissance fountain. Sculpture Name: “Journey” (Photo Credit: Mission Hill Family Estate)