Monstery

Think With Your Hands and Give Shape to What You Carry

Monster Factory is a hands-on, participatory art project where inner weight, tangled thoughts, and forgotten objects are transformed into sculptural monsters. Led by artists Helga Ósk Hlynssdóttir and Karen Briem, it blends storytelling, papier-mâché, found materials, and guided making. The focus is on making — not performing — within a safe, playful space where imagination, material, and care guide the process.

Artistic Context & Development

Monster Factory is the culmination of several years of exploration in participatory art. Helga and Karen previously hosted _Monster Factory_workshops for children, where playful creativity and sculptural making turned stories and emotions into creatures. Over time, they received frequent requests to host the workshop for adults — and now, for the first time, this expanded version is realised.

This evolution demonstrates the artists’ interest in transforming personal narratives into material form, emphasising process, collaboration, and collective installation. Adults are invited into the same imaginative, hands-on practice, where burdens and ideas can be shaped, reimagined, and given life as sculptural monsters.

What You’ll Do

First workshop evening — Birth

We begin by creating a story for your monster: its origin, nature, or the burden it carries. Then, participants build a basic skeleton and cover it with papier-mâché, forming the body. This evening is about structure, intuition, and letting the monster emerge.

Second workshop evening — Becoming

We continue shaping the creature through details, textures, painting, and decoration, bringing mood, character, and expression fully alive.

Additional flexible days — Care

For those who want more time, a few optional open days are available to return, refine, and care for your monster. These days are self-directed and optional.

Materials — Optional but Encouraged

You are warmly encouraged to bring materials, though it’s not required. Examples:

• Old clothes or textiles

• Broken or discarded objects

• Items no longer in use

• Things you’re ready to let go of and give a new life as a monster

• Things you love but want to transform

All materials are transformed through play, care, and imagination.

Workshop Dates

Choose one group:

• Group 1: Mondays, March 2 & 9 | 6:00–9:00 PM

• Group 2: Tuesdays, March 3 & 10 | 6:00–9:00 PM

• Group 3: Thursdays, March 5 & 12 | 6:00–9:00 PM

Open Days and Weekend (optional)

March 6–8

Drop in to continue building, collaborating, or spending time with your monster.

Final Exhibition & Monster Party 

Friday, March 13 | 8:00–11:00 PM

The monsters are revealed in a collective installation, followed by a celebration with a DJ and drinks — including sparkling wine, beer, and tequila.

Pricing

• Early Bird: 19,900 kr

• Regular: 24,900 kr

Tickets are non-refundable.