still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.

music video direction
andrew thomas huang

co-creative direction
björk / james merry

video production
alex chamberlain / hrönn kristinsdóttir / sara nassim

audio production
björk

dress
valentino, pierpaolo piccioli

styling
edda gudmundsdottir

choreographer
erna ómarsdóttir

production designers
heimir sverrisson & dóra hrund gísladóttir

björk makeup
johannes jaruaak (hungry)

björk hair
hildur osp gunnarsdóttir

masks
james merry

still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.

on my new album, fossora, i wrote 2 songs to my mother. this one, ancestress, is written just after her wordly funeral
and is probably an impulse common with musicians:
to make your version of the story, later

only recently did i discover that this song is probably somehow inspired by an icelandic song "grafskrift"
which is somehow a very direct and patriarchial account of someones life
a list of dates of births and deaths, professions and partners

still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.

i probably wanted to approach this in a more feminine way
so those 2 songs are an attempt to tell her biological and emotional story
i am very grateful to my son, sindri eldon, to arrange and sing vocals in the choruses
as he has a sublime voice and was very close to her.

for 20 years i have not been able to attend funerals as something in them rubbed me the wrong way.
possibly a big part of it is after having lived a life of thousands concerts, i probably have too strong ideas on how a ritual should be,
too bossy about what kinda sound, musical structure, words it should include

still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.

and it took me all this time to discover that for me all funerals should be outside.
probably what was offending me most was how can one set off the spirit in such a claustrophobic environment as a church?
when the soul sets off, it needs to be outside so there is room for how enormous it becomes when it merges with the elements

so therefore i asked my friend andrew thomas huang to help me film this outside, in a valley she often picked herbs in
to create a procession of musicians celebrating her life
i am grateful for my brother to carry her ashes and take part
also to james merry to make masks for all of us including an ocean of musicians
and erna ómarsdóttir to choreograph my mother’s spirit and her helpers

warmthness
björk

still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
lyrics to ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
mask by james merry for ancestress, written and performed by björk

james merry on the hrossagaukur masks
the pieces worn by björk and the "spirit" dancer were inspired by my favourite bird: the icelandic hrossagaukur (gallinago gallinago). birds have long been associated with the spirit realm, so it felt like an appropriate starting point - and i also had in mind the striking and ghostly sound this particular bird makes as it climbs and dives through the air. in general i was keen to avoid straying into anything too sweet or whimsical for these masks - given the subject matter of the song - so i wanted them all to have a certain wild, yet intrinsically icelandic, look to them.

i also designed the hrossagaukur masks to channel liquid, that could flow down the beak from one mask to the other - passing a sap between them, a life force from generation to generation.

mask designed by james merry for the music video to ancestress, written and performed by björk
mask designed by james merry for the music video to ancestress, written and performed by björk

james merry on the alopex masks
the concept behind the fox masks, worn by the procession of string players, was based on the arctic fox (vulpes lagopus) - and in particular their seasonal change of fur colour. in winter they are bright white to camouflage with the snow, and then slowly change their markings to a brown/grey summer coat. the repeating shapes in the design itself was a nod to the idea of family generations and ancestry - bigger and smaller repeating fox-eye shapes can be seen rising up and down the mask in a chain, like a family tree. the winter and the summer versions allude to the passing of time, the changing of the seasons, and the adaptability and hardiness of iceland´s only native land mammal.

mask designed by james merry for the music video to ancestress, written and performed by björk
mask designed by james merry for the music video to ancestress, written and performed by björk

james merry on the gong masks
the masks made for the percussionists and dancers are based on gongs, tungljurt and vertebrae. like the fox masks, i wanted them to have the repeating ancestral arrangement, where smaller versions appear out of larger variations. their brassy / copper appearance was chosen to sync with the percussive elements in the song.

ceremonial spoon designed by james merry for the music video to ancestress, written and performed by björk

james merry on the ceremonial spoon
the spoon was inspired by a discussion with björk about palliative care given in hospital, how spoons and sponges of glycerin are administered on the deathbed. like a role reversal back to infancy, the child now feeds the parent by spoon. so björk suggested i design a version of this utensil that could be an ancestral heirloom - a death spoon that is passed down from generation to generation. i also wanted to design a spoon that could fill itself - including a chamber to hold liquid behind the main spoon, so it could replenish itself when empty. the form is inspired by hatchling baby birds, a reference to the hrossgaukur masks - but there are also visual references to seeds sprouting and to reproductive organs, suggesting a cycle of ceremonies surrounding birth and death for which this spoon could be used.

siggi string ensemble from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.

the string instrumentals of siggi
SIGGI STRING QUARTET was founded in 2012 around the UNM Festival, Ung Nordisk Musik. Since then the members Una Sveinbjarnardóttir and Helga Þóra Björgvinsdóttir violinists, violist Þórunn Ósk Marinósdóttir and cellist Sigurður Bjarki Gunnarsson have premiered several works and collaborated with number of composers as well as exploring older repertoire with schwerpunkt Beethoven. The classical string quartet repertoire is of great importance to the members of Siggi as a vital part of their journey of research. Previous projects include the Iceland premiere of the 5 hour long 2nd String Quartet of Morton Feldman, Jón Leifs Quartets, late Beethoven Quartets, Philip Glass recordings for Deutsche Grammophon with pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, the five string quartets of Atli Heimir Sveinsson and “Stara”, the album of Halldór Smárason (Sono Luminus 2020). The ensemble has premiered over forty compositions.

still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.

the choreography of erna Ómarsdóttir
Erna Ómarsdóttir, artistic director of Iceland Dance Company, graduated in Brussels from PARTS (performing arts research and training studios) in 1998. Following her graduation she worked with different Belgian and international dance and theater companies performing all the world around, such as Troubleyn, Ballet C De la B, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. She became a founding member of the dance and theater collectives Ekka (Reykjavík) from 1996 and Poni (Brüssel) from 2001. She was an associate director of Les Grandes Traversees in Bordeaux France in 2007 and co-artistic director of Reykjavík Dance Festival 2014. Erna has been the artistic director of Iceland dance company since 2015.

sketch by andrew thomas huang for ancestress, written and performed by björk.
sketch by andrew thomas huang for ancestress, written and performed by björk.

sketches by andrew thomas huang

still from ancestress, written and performed by björk. released with her 2022 album fossora, the track pays tribute to björk’s mother. the video was directed by andrew thomas huang and costumed by pier paolo piccioli for valentino.
album art for fossora, the tenth studio album by björk.

fossora out now
listen / buy the album

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  • DIRECTOR: Andrew Thomas Huang
    CO - CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Björk & James Merry
    PRODUCTION COMPANY: Object & Animal
    EP: Dom Thomas
    PRODUCER: Alex Chamberlain
    PRODUCTION COMPANY ICELAND: Go to Sheep
    PRODUCER ICELAND: Hrönn Kristinsdóttir
    PRODUCER ICELAND: Sara Nassim
    DOP: Andrew Yuyi Truong
    PRODUCTION DESIGNERS: Heimir Sverrisson & Dóra Hrund Gísladóttir
    ART DIRECTOR: Sunna SvavarsdóttirPROPS MASTER: Sigrún Perla GísladóttirPROPS MASTER: Melkorka Embla HjartardóttirSTANDBY PROPS: Kolbeinn H. Bambus Einarsson
    CHOREOGRAPHER: Erna Ómarsdóttir
    PRODUCTION MANAGER: Gagga Jónsdóttir
    PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Anna Björk Hilmarsdóttir
    KEY PA: Ólöf Birna Bjarnadóttir
    PA: Búi Fannar Ívarsson
    LOCATION PA: Birkir Kristinsson
    SET ASSISTANT: Daníel Bóasson
    ARTIST ASSISTANT: Hilma Kristín Sveinsdóttir
    ARTIST ASSISTANT: Rosemary Llagostera
    1st ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Sigurður Kjartan Kristinsson
    2nd ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Arngunnur Hinriksdottir
    3rd ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Anný Björk Árnadóttir
    LOCATION MANAGER: Birkir Grétarsson
    B CAM OPERATOR: Baltasar Breki Samper
    1st AC: Goði Már Guðbjörnsson
    2nd AC: Almar Blær Bjarnason
    2nd AC: Bjartur Ragnarsson
    1st AC B CAM: Eva Rut Hjaltadóttir
    2nd AC B CAM: Svava Lovísa Aðalsteinsdóttir
    STEADICAM OPERATOR: Þór Elísson
    CAMERA TRAINEE: Sigurjón Þór Guðmundsson
    VTR: Rútur Skæringur Sigurjónsson
    DIT: Arnór Einarsson
    GAFFER: Arnaldur Kári Valdemarsson
    ELECTRICIAN: Steingrímur Ingi Stefánsson
    SWINGER: Helgi Jóhannsson
    KEY GRIP: Viktor Davíð Jóhannsson
    BEST BOY: Tómas Freyr Jóhannsson
    PLAYBACK: Bergur Þórisson
    TALENT DRIVER: Helgi Guðmundsson
    HMU TRUCK DRIVER: Snorri Þórsson
    CHEF: Atli Ottesen
    CHEF: Númi Thomasson
    CHEF’s ASSISTANT: Úlfur Stígsson
    MEDIC: Hulda
    BTS FILMING: Edda Kristín Óttarsdóttir

  • SFX SUPERVISOR: Haukur Karlsson
    SFX ASSISTANT 1: Frosti Jón Runólfsson
    SFX ASSISTANT 2: Gunnar Gunnarsson
    CERAMIC JUG: Jón Einar Björnsson
    3D PRINTING: Halldór Snorrason
    COLOUR PRODUCER: Nat Tereschenko
    VFX COMPOSITORS: Travis Button, Andrew Nishida
    BTS EDIT & POST: Ali Gill

  • SPIRIT DANCER: Shota Inoue
    DANCER: Saga Sig
    DANCER: Charmene Pang
    DANCER: Emilía Gísladóttir
    DANCER: S. Andrean Sigurgeirsson
    Arnar Saevarsson
    VIOLINIST: Una Sveinbjarnardóttir
    VIOLINIST: Geirþrúður Ása Guðjónsdóttir
    VIOLINIST: Helga Þóra Björgvinsdóttir
    VIOLINIST: Laura Liu
    VIOLINIST: Ingrid Karlsdóttir
    VIOLIST: Þórunn Ósk Marinósdóttir
    VIOLIST: Lucja Koczot
    CELLIST: Sigurður Bjarki Gunnarsson
    CELLIST: Júlía Mogensen
    CONTRABASS PLAYER: Xun Yang
    PERCUSSIONIST: Soraya Nayyar

  • WARDROBE BY: Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli
    MASKS & CEREMONIAL SPOON: James Merry
    STYLIST: Edda Guðmundsdóttir
    BJÖRK MAKE UP: Johannes Jaruaak (Hungry)
    BJÖRK HAIR: Hildur Ösp GunnarsdóttirBJÖRK HAIR: Hildur Ösp Gunnarsdóttir
    WARDROBE ASSISTANT 1: Diana Ros Hanh Breckmann
    WARDROBE ASSISTANT 2: Anthony Hoang Day Nguyen
    WARDROBE ASSISTANT 3: Ásdís Lúðvíksdóttir

    FROM VALENTINO:
    TAILOR: SABRINA PAOLETTA
    TAILOR: LINA IRENE
    TAILOR: CATERINA BAGORDA
    TAILOR: ANGELA MACCHIAVELLI
    DESIGN TEAM: SABATO DE SARNO
    DESIGN TEAM: GABRIELE CUSIMANO
    DESIGN TEAM: AMINA TARDELLA
    VIP RELATIONS: Paola Cabano
    VIP RELATIONS: CHIARA FERRARESE
    VIP RELATIONS: Katie Goodwin

    CROWD MAKE UP & HAIR: Sunna Björk Erlingsdóttir
    CROWD HMU ASSISTANT: Sigrún Jörgensen
    CROWD HMU ASSISTANT: Kolbrún Anna Vignisdóttir
    CROWD HMU ASSISTANT: Linda Kjartansdóttir

  • words and music by björk
    string and percussion arrangement by björk
    beat by björk
    programmed by björk and jake miller
    vocals by björk and sindri eldon
    vocal arrangements by björk and sindri eldon
    sindri's vocals engineered by gestur sveinsson
    produced by björk
    engineered by bergur þórisson
    and jake miller

    strings:
    una sveinbjarnardóttir
    helga þóra björgvinsdóttir
    laura liu
    ingrid karlsdóttir
    geirþrúður ása guðjónsdóttir
    þórunn ösk marinósdóttir
    lucia koczot
    sigurður bjarki gunnarsson
    júlía mogensen
    xun yang

    percussion:
    soraya nayyar

    conductor:
    ragnheiður ingunn jóhannsdóttir

  • thanks to Gabríela Friðriksdóttir for her inspiration.