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Flatus lifir: From illegal graffiti to socially sanctioned murals

Kristjánsdóttir, Selma Björk LU (2026) KOVM12 20261
Division of Art History and Visual Studies
Abstract
This thesis examines Flatus lifir, a widely recognized phenomenon in Iceland’s rural public space. Located in Kollafjörður on the outskirts of Reykjavík, the work has existed in several different forms over time and has become embedded within Icelandic public memory and popular culture. It appeared as an anonymous graffiti tag decades ago and later evolved into three distinct mural iterations in the same place, each featuring roughly the same phrase. Through visual analysis, fieldwork, interviews, and historical research, the thesis explores the evolution of Flatus lifir and the mythology that has formed around it within Icelandic society. Drawing on street art theorists such as Ulrich Blanché, Peter Bengtsen, and Javier Abarca, the study... (More)
This thesis examines Flatus lifir, a widely recognized phenomenon in Iceland’s rural public space. Located in Kollafjörður on the outskirts of Reykjavík, the work has existed in several different forms over time and has become embedded within Icelandic public memory and popular culture. It appeared as an anonymous graffiti tag decades ago and later evolved into three distinct mural iterations in the same place, each featuring roughly the same phrase. Through visual analysis, fieldwork, interviews, and historical research, the thesis explores the evolution of Flatus lifir and the mythology that has formed around it within Icelandic society. Drawing on street art theorists such as Ulrich Blanché, Peter Bengtsen, and Javier Abarca, the study discusses questions of terminology, categorization, and site specificity regarding Flatus lifir. The thesis also engages with Federico Campagna’s Technic and Magic and Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle to analyze how ambiguity and folklore contribute to the work’s cultural significance, while also addressing the risk of commodification and recuperation. The study found that Flatus lifir has turned from an anonymous graffiti tag to a socially sanctioned mural through democratic processes of artistic intervention and collective storytelling. By situating Flatus lifir within the broader context of Icelandic graffiti and street art culture, the thesis contributes to the limited academic scholarship on urban visual culture in Iceland. (Less)
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author
Kristjánsdóttir, Selma Björk LU
supervisor
organization
course
KOVM12 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Street art and graffiti, murals, cultural impact, categorization, Icelandic visual culture
language
English
id
9238760
date added to LUP
2026-06-16 12:35:33
date last changed
2026-06-16 12:35:33
@misc{9238760,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines Flatus lifir, a widely recognized phenomenon in Iceland’s rural public space. Located in Kollafjörður on the outskirts of Reykjavík, the work has existed in several different forms over time and has become embedded within Icelandic public memory and popular culture. It appeared as an anonymous graffiti tag decades ago and later evolved into three distinct mural iterations in the same place, each featuring roughly the same phrase. Through visual analysis, fieldwork, interviews, and historical research, the thesis explores the evolution of Flatus lifir and the mythology that has formed around it within Icelandic society. Drawing on street art theorists such as Ulrich Blanché, Peter Bengtsen, and Javier Abarca, the study discusses questions of terminology, categorization, and site specificity regarding Flatus lifir. The thesis also engages with Federico Campagna’s Technic and Magic and Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle to analyze how ambiguity and folklore contribute to the work’s cultural significance, while also addressing the risk of commodification and recuperation. The study found that Flatus lifir has turned from an anonymous graffiti tag to a socially sanctioned mural through democratic processes of artistic intervention and collective storytelling. By situating Flatus lifir within the broader context of Icelandic graffiti and street art culture, the thesis contributes to the limited academic scholarship on urban visual culture in Iceland.}},
  author       = {{Kristjánsdóttir, Selma Björk}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Flatus lifir: From illegal graffiti to socially sanctioned murals}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}