"World Light - The Life and Death of an Artist" is another impactful work from Ragnar Kjartansson’s repertoire, first presented at the 2015 Venice Biennale. This four-channel video installation is inspired by Halldór Laxness’s four-part novel "World Light." In Kjartansson’s rendition, the process of making art itself becomes a compelling narrative, shot over the course of six months in a garage-turned-studio in Reykjavik.

Featuring a host of artists, musicians, and actors as collaborators, the work explores themes of tragedy, comedy, and the quest for beauty. Kjartansson himself plays multiple roles, both in front of and behind the camera. The distinct scenes come together to form a tapestry of emotional and artistic intensity, embracing the melodramatic and the sublime in equal measure.

At its core, "World Light - The Life and Death of an Artist" contemplates the anguish and ecstasy involved in the creative process, capturing the tension between success and failure, elation and despair. One can find further insights into this work in platforms like the Art Basel website, which has covered Kjartansson’s Venice Biennale appearance in detail.