Hands of Iceland: A Call to Writers & Poets

What can a hand reveal about a person?

Artist and lifelong palm reader Jana Napoli invites you to take part in Hands of Iceland - a one of a kind exploration of national identity told through the language of the hand.

With over 65 years of experience reading palms, Jana has traveled the world, but it was her first visit to Iceland in 2013 that sparked something extraordinary: "In all my work around the world, I had never encountered such a level of left-hand dominance."

Since then, Jana has photographed and read hands all around Iceland, gathering a living archive of biometric and poetic detail - from ridges and creases to myths and modern realities. Now, as she nears her goal of capturing a 1% sample of the Icelandic nation, she turns to the country’s storytellers to help bring this data to life. 

We’re looking for writers & poets 

Join Jana in a collaborative journey and help shape the narrative of what it means to be Icelandic in the 21st century. Please book a slot below.

Participation involves photographing the hands of individuals who have at least one Icelandic parent, followed by a personal palm and hand reading for those who wish. Nail polish and artificial nails must be removed before the photo session.

- What do our hands say about who we are?
- Can a nation’s identity be read in its lines, ridges, and prints?
- How do we connect genetics, history, and myth through palm reading?

Book here

Friday 30th of May 
Saturday 31st of May - link coming soon
Sunday 1st of June - link coming soon

Location: City Library Grófin, 5th floor - Tryggvagata 15, 101 Reykjavík
 

More information

The Hands of Iceland is a project by Jana Napoli, a social entrepreneur from New Orleans. Once the project concludes, the National Archives of Iceland will store the data, a collection of photographs of Icelanders' hands, without any personal identifying information.

Jana does not claim to be a fortune teller. She reads personality traits from each person’s palms, based on their structure and the lines and symbols they contain. Jana has practiced palm reading for over 60 years, both for personal insight and enjoyment.

Jana has been involved in various initiatives around the world. Her work in the fields of art and community development has earned well-deserved recognition. Notably, she received the “Use Your Life” award from talk show queen Oprah Winfrey for her project YA/YA Inc., which empowers youth in socially challenging environments through art creation. Jana also created a large-scale traveling installation called Floodwall in response to the devastating damage and loss of life caused by Hurricane Katrina in her hometown.