The Center’s support program assists professional artists in their projects outside Iceland. Around 40 established and emerging artists are awarded annually. In addition to the CIA.IS grants, Iceland Express sponsors the program by providing CIA.IS with international flight tickets.

The major grant program has its annual deadline and supports outstanding significant projects. CIA.IS’s Professional Committee and its guests have gone through the applications for the major grants for 2008. The Professional Committee consists of Hafþór Yngvason and Rúrí and is chaired by Christian Schoen. Guests of the Committee were Kristín Guðnadóttir, director of ASÍ Art Museum and Markús Þór Andrésson, curator. 47 applications were received and 11 grants were given, total 3.2 million ISK. In addition to that flight vouchers of total ISK 300,000 from Iceland Express were given to artists for their projects outside Iceland.

ISK 400,000 each go to:
Icelandic Love Corporation for their participation in The International Biennial “10 Days on the Island“ in Hobart, capital of Tasmania in Australia, 25 March to 5 April 2009. CAST gallery – Tasmania’s leading contemporary art space – will be the host of ILC’s project. After their impressive “mid-career” show at the Reykjavík Art Museum this is a great opportunity for the group to be present at a major art event in the Asian Pacific region.
Birta Guðjónsdóttir for presenting works by Guðný Rosa Ingimarsdóttir, Haraldur Jónsson and Hreinn Friðfinnsson in an exhibition project of Icelandic and Japanese artists in the Ise Foundation, New York. Birta, a promising artist herself, is one of the few outstanding young curators in Iceland and a brilliant international networker.
Halldór Ásgeirsson for the publication of a catalogue.
Kling og Bang gallerí for the participation in Frieze Projects in London in September 2008. Co-ordinated by Frieze Foundation, a non-profit organisation, Frieze Projects take place at one of the world’s most important art fairs. This is an excellent opportunity to make a wide range of international curators, critics, gallery owners and collectors more aware of Kling & Bang’s activities and Icelandic art.

ISK 200,000 each go to:
Katrín Elvarsdóttir for her solo exhibition in The Point of View gallery in Chelsea, New York in May 2009. For the photographer, who investigates the intimate interrelation between humans and their surrounding, this project might help to create a sustainable link to the international art market – especially in the US.
Sigga Björg Sigurðardóttir and Hlaðgerður Íris Björnsdóttir for participation in “Tomorrow Always Belongs to us” a group show with new Nordic Painting in Götaborg’s Kunsthall in Sweden, 30 May to 6 June 2008.
Magnús Árnason for a performance project at LISTE – The Young Art Fair in Basel, Swizerland in June 2008. Basel Art Fair is, with the one in Miami, one of the most important art fairs in the world and LISTE is a very well received experimental art fair.

A special support of 1,000,000 goes to the three Icelandic artists participating in the biennial European Art Festival Manifesta 7 Trentino – Alto Adige in Italy, July 19 to November 2:

Ólafur Ólafsson & Libia Castro
Margrét Blöndal
Ragnar Kjartansson

The artists will develop three site-specific projects for the major art exhibition Manifesta as part of an exhibition with the working title “Principle of Hope” at Rovereto, curated by Adam Budak.

6 projects were awarded flight vouchers from Iceland Express.

ISK 90,000 each go to:
Ransú, Guðrún Vera Hjartardóttir, Helgi Hjaltalín Eyjólfsson, Hlynur Hallsson and Þorvaldur Þorsteinsson for their exhibition “Equivalence” in the Rupe Museum in Dubrovnik, Croatia in July 2008.
Kling & Bang gallerí for their participation in Frieze Art Fair in London in September 2008.

ISK 30,000 each go to:
Ingunn Fjóla Eyþórsdóttir for her solo exhibition in Cuxhaven Kunstverein in Germany.
The Weird Girls Project for their exhibition in London.
Hulda Rós Guðnadóttir for creating a new video piece in Berlin, Germany during winter 2008–2009.
Guðlaug Dröfn Gunnarsdóttir for her solo exhibition in Premier Regard in Paris 5th district in September and October 2008.