Uproar as artist dyes geysir pink

"This is not art, it's vandalism," said the spokesperson for the landowners of  the Geysir area, Garðar Eiríksson, to mbl.is earlier today. Artist Marco Evaristii poured five litres of red fruit dye into the active Strokkur geysir without permission, an act not appreciated artistically by enraged Icelanders. Everistii has been charged and is currently being interrogated by police.

"I am deeply sorry that a visitor to our country comes up with such an idea and in this way thank for his visit to Iceland. I have very few words to describe my disgust at these actions," said Eiríksson.  Evaristii turned the eruption from the Strokkur geysir pink in pouring the red dye into it. 

Interviewed by mbl.is before being brought in for interrogation, Evaristtii says that he's not a landscape painter but instead, paints directly on the landscape. Evaristtii, who apparently studied at the Royal institue of art in Copenhagen explains that he makes one nature painting per year and that this year, Iceland was his choice. " I do what I do because I'm a painter, a landscape painter who doesn't use a canvas, I paint directly on nature." He added that Icelanders should be proud to see his artwork as noone has seen Icelandic nature in this form before. "I do not ask for permission because nature belongs to noone. I believe in freedom of speech and I believe nature doesn't belong to certain people, but to everyone. " He adds that the food colouring he used is not harmful in any way to the environment. 

"I was there at 4.15 this morning and waited for the sun to come up. I performed the installation at 05.25 when noone was there." Last year, Evaristii painted a frozen waterfall in Norway and has been sentenced to 15 days in jail for his actions. " I love mother nature. If I love a woman I give her a diamond ring. That's why I decorate nature, because I love it." 

Eiríksson believes that Evaristii should apologize for his actions and realise how delicate Iceland' nature is. He adds that the residue from the food colouring is all around the geysir in the frozen ground. Eiríksson adds that Evaristii's actions go against laws of nature protection. "If he had asked permission we would have told him that it's illegal and that we would never agree to this kind of art performance. This man is incredibly arrogant and his actions and words reveal his ignorance." Eiríksson adds that the delicate formations around the geysir could retain the red colouring for a long time. " What's he going to do next? Colour our waterfalls or rivers? This is not art in my opinion, just vandalism."

Artist Marco Evaristii believes that nature belongs to noone and defends his art installation which could send him to prison. Photo: Mbl