The Gold Nugget

The Gold Nugget (Photo: Lilja M)

The Gold Nugget is an artwork by the Icelandic artist duo YottaZetta. The artists applied bright gold paint to a tiny house containing the intake of a small hydropower-station that was constructed in the early 20th century by local farmers, long before the state built a network of much larger power plants in the '70s. This first chapter in Iceland´s history of harnessing hydropower was mostly forgotten, but recently small local hydropower is being globally recognized as a significant and important alternative to the large scale power plants, requiring large dams and long range high-voltage networks. The artists want to emphasize the importance of these first, enthusiastic energy-projects, of which the Klaustur power plant is one of the few still running. 

More info about YottaZetta and the artwork and powerplants in Skaftárhreppur at: https://eldsveitir.is/2020/10/31/the-gold-nugget/?lang=en

This sign will be added near the Gold nugget when the land is not frosen and we can go up there easily. 

Those who paid for this artwork: Uppbyggingarsjóður Sass, Katla geopark, Skaftárhreppur and Eignarhaldsfélag Brunabótafélag Íslands.