The Groundbreaking Tour 2008 (Skóflustungutúrinn 2008) was a performance that took place in six villages around Iceland in the summer of 2008. The project consisted of six groundbreakings for various industries that would save the decaying countryside. No one from the villages was invited to take part in or witness the ceremony.

Adopting the rhetoric used to justify the massive state spending on providing cheap electricity for a privately run aluminum smelters for multinational corporations, the art collective Kjánska introduced various projects that all involved innovative ideas on how to use natural and human resources to draw international investors to Iceland while providing labor opportunities for Icelanders. Environmentally Friendly Weapon’s Factory was pronounced in Vopnafjörður, A High Security Prison Camp for NATO was given to the residents of Hvammstangi,  An Enjoyment Center was opened in Raufarhöfn, Sweatshop in Vík, Camps For Illegal Immigrants in Búðardalur and finally Nuclear Waste Center in Súðavík. After the ground breaking event in each place, with speeches, campaign and handshakes (all performed by just one person), Kjánksa introduced the ideas to people in town by distributing detailed leaflets that explained the ingenuity of the operation. In only one week, Kjánska managed to perform six groundbreakings all over Iceland, including the most remote corners of the island.

The artist collective Kjánska was formed by Anna Björk Einarsdóttir, Magnús Þór Snæbjörnsson and Steinunn Gunnlaugsdóttir. It was active from the year 2006 to the end of the year 2008.

Here is a newsreel (with English subtitles) from the National TV in Iceland about the action:

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Skóflustungutúrinn 2008 var gjörningur, framkvæmdur af listhópnum Kjánsku, sem fór fram í sex þorpum í kringum Ísland, sumarið 2008. Verkið samanstóð af sex skóflustungum með tilheyrandi ræðuhöldum, handaböndum, kampavíns drykkju og hlátrasköllum sem framkvæmdar voru af einni og sömu manneskjunni. Skóflustungurnar voru teknar fyrir alskyns iðnað sem gæti komið niðurdrabbaðri landsbyggðinni til bjargar.

Hér að ofan er myndband frá sjónvarsfrétt RÚV af uppákomunni.

Skóflustungutúrinn 2008 var sýndur á samsýningu haustið 2008. Þá sem sex rása myndband, auk kynningarbæklinga, kynningarplakats, fréttarinnar frá RÚV og ljósmynda af hverjum gjörningi fyrir sig. Styttri útgáfa af verkinu var einnig notuð í bíómyndinni Pólitíkst Bíó #1 sem er eftir sama hóp.

Listhópurinn Kjánska var samstarf þeirra Önnu Bjarkar Einarsdóttur, Magnúsar Þórs Snæbjörnssonar og Steinunnar Gunnlaugsdóttur. Það vann hin ýmsu verk á árunum 2006 til 2008.