This thesis explores notions of the past as a means of both containing and constructing our perceptions of life, culture and time. The core of this exploration is Íslenski bærinn, an endeavor committed to bringing together contemporary art and cultural heritage, an attempt to reawaken history as a living contribution to the present day. Through entering Íslenski bærinn, an old Icelandic turfhouse restoration project by Hannes Lárusson, the boundaries of art and life, memory and collective growth, delicate tradition and craft become blurred as the constricting nature of technology, industry and unforgiving consumerism take hold of our current perceptions of the past.