Í sumar eru tvær áhugaverðar sýningar í Hafnarhúsi; Karin Sander: 1957–2057 og Erró: Remix, ásamt úrvali af Víðáttum. Í leiðsögninni fá gestir tækifæri til að staldra við, skoða nánar og dýpka skilning sinn á lykilverkum sýninganna — stutt, skýrt og hnitmiðað.

This summer, two exhibitions are on view at Hafnarhús: Karin Sander 1957–2057 and Erró: Remix - including a selection af Scapes.  During the tours, visitors have the opportunity to pause, look closer, and gain deeper insight into key pieces — brief, focused, and enriching.

Daily short guided tours offer a fresh and engaging way to experience the exhibitions at Reykjavík Art Museum. Museum staff lead visitors through selected works, opening up new perspectives on the art in a clear and accessible way.

Mini Tour on Exhibitions | Hafnarhús

Daglegar stuttar leiðsagnir bjóða upp á ferska og lifandi nálgun að sýningum Listasafns Reykjavíkur. Starfsfólk safnsins leiðir gesti um valin verk og opnar nýjar leiðir inn í listina á skýran og aðgengilegan hátt.

Örleiðsögn um sýningar | Hafnarhús

Fræðsla

Í sumar eru tvær áhugaverðar sýningar á Kjarvalsstöðum: Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd í Vestursal og Kjarval og 20. öldin. Í leiðsögninni fá gestir tækifæri til að staldra við, skoða nánar og dýpka skilning sinn á völdum verkum — stutt, skýrt og hnitmiðað.

This summer, two exciting exhibitions are on view at Kjarvalsstaðir: Big little City – Reykjavík in View West Gallery, and Kjarval and the 20th Century. During the tours, visitors have the opportunity to pause, look closer, and gain deeper insight into selected works — brief, focused, and enriching.

Mini Tour on Exhibitions | Kjarvalsstaðir

Örleiðsögn um sýningar | Kjarvalsstaðir

Leiðsögn

Gestum safnsins býðst að láta skanna sig í þrívídd og enda
mögulega sem skúlptúr á sýningunni. 
Hægt er að láta skanna sig alla föstudaga, laugardaga og sunnudaga frá 13-17 og fimmtudaga frá 17-21. Ekki verður skannað helgina 1. - 2. ágúst.

Ekki allir skannaðir gestir enda sem skúlptúr á sýningunni en hægt er að kaupa upprunavottorð með mynd af skönnuninni þinni.   
Um er að ræða einstakt A4 prentverk, áritað af Karin Sander. Verð: 7.500 kr.  

Ef búið er að skanna þig er hægt að panta upprunavottorð út sýningatímabilið á listasafn@reykjavik.is

Visitors are invited to be 3D scanned, with the possibility of
becoming a sculpture as part of the exhibition. 
You can be 3D scanned every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and Thursdays from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Scanning will not take place on August 1-2.

Not all scanned visitors will become sculptures in the exhibition, but you can purchase a certificate featuring an image of your scan.
Each certificate is a unique A4 print, signed by Karin Sander.
Price: ISK 7.500  

If you have already been scanned, you can order a certificate of origin throughout the exhibition period by emailing listasafn@reykjavik.is.

Come and participate in the artwork Museum Visitors 1:7 by Karin Sander, currently featured in the exhibition 1957–2057 at Hafnarhús.

Museum Visitors 1:7 | Scanning

Komdu og taktu þátt í verkinu Safngestir 1:7 eftir Karin Sander sem nú er á sýningunni 1957-2057 í Hafnarhúsi.

Safngestir 1:7 | Skönnun

Sýning

Í gjörn­ingnum Fólk á steinstöplum eftir Karin Sander eru sýningargestir settir í hlutverk lifandi höggmynda. Hver og einn þáttakandi stendur á litlum steinsteyptum hellusteini og reynir í sömu andrá að halda jafnvægi.   

Portið í Listsafni Reykjavíkur umbreytist í lifandi sýningarvettvang þar sem mörkin milli skúlptúrs og manneskju verða óljós. Gjörningurinn beinir sjónum að nærveru, líkama og jafnvægi, en um leið að hlutverki einstaklingsins í sameiginlegu rými.  

Karin Sander er heimsþekkt þýsk listakona sem hefur ræktað tengsl við Ísland allt frá fyrstu heimsókn fyrir þrjátíu árum. Mörg verka hennar eru innblásin af náttúru landsins, menningu og samfélagi.

In the performance People on Stone Plinths by Karin Sander, museum visitors are placed in the role of living sculptures. Each participant stands on a small concrete paving stone, striving at the same time to maintain their balance.  

The Port at the Reykjavik Art Museum is transformed into a living exhibition space where the boundaries between sculpture and human presence become blurred. The work draws attention to presence, the body, and balance, while also reflecting on the role of the individual within a shared space.  

Karin Sander is an internationally renowned German artist who has cultivated connections to Iceland since her first visit thirty years ago. Many of her works are inspired by the country’s nature, culture, and society.

Come and take part in Karina Sander’s artwork People on Pedestals at Hafnarhúsið.

Culture Night | People on stone plinths

Komdu og taktu þátt í verki Karinar Sander Fólk á steinstöplum í Hafnarhúsinu.

Menningarnótt | Fólk á steinstöplum

Í tengslum við sýningarnar á  Kjarvalsstöðum geta fjölskyldur notið saman ratleiks um sýninguna Kjarval og 20. öldin: Þegar nútíminn lagði að og Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd.  

Frítt inn á Menningarnótt.

In connection with the exhibitions at Kjarvalsstaðir, families can enjoy a treasure hunt about the exhibition Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored and Big Little City – Reykjavík in View.  

Free admission on Culture Night.

In Kjarvalsstaðir on Culture Night children can enjoy a scavanger hunt and puzzles.

Culture Night | Scavanger hunt and puzzles for kids

Á Kjarvalsstöðum á Menningarnótt verða í boði ratleikur og þrautir fyrir börn.

Menningarnótt | Ratleikur og þrautir fyrir börn

Í tengslum við sýningarnar í Hafnarhúsi geta fjölskyldur notið saman listaverkabingós um sýningarnar Erró: Remix - ásamt úrvali af Víðáttum og Karin Sander: 1957-2057.  

Frítt inn á Menningarnótt.

In connection with the exhibitions in Hafnarhús, families can enjoy a Art Bingo about the exhibitions Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes and Karin Sander: 1957-2057.  

Free admission on Culture Night.

Join the Art Bingo adventure at Hafnarhús on Culture Night and discover the museum’s exhibitions in a fun and exciting new way!

Culture Night | Art Bingo in Hafnarhús

Taktu þátt í listaverkabingói í Hafnarhúsinu á Menningarnótt og skoðaðu sýningarnar á safninu á nýjan og bráðskemmtilegan hátt!

Menningarnótt | Listaverkabingó í Hafnarhúsi

DAGSKRÁ:  

HAFNARHÚS – opið frá 10.00 til 22.00  
Tryggvagata 17, 101 Reykjavík  

Yfirstandandi sýningar í Hafnarhúsi:   

Erró: Remix – ásamt úrvali af Víðáttum  

Karin Sander: 1957 – 2057   

10.00 – 22.00 | Listaverkabingó fyrir börn  
Taktu þátt í listaverkabingói í Hafnarhúsinu á Menningarnótt og skoðaðu sýningarnar á safninu á nýjan og bráðskemmtilegan hátt.  

10.00 – 22.00 | Fólk á steinstöplum  
Taktu þátt í verki Karinar Sander, Fólk á steinstöplum, í Hafnarhúsinu. Gestir stíga á steinsteypta hellusteina og verða um leið lifandi höggmyndir í sameiginlegum gjörningi.  

13.00 – 20.00 | Þrívíddarskönnun gesta  
Gestum safnsins býðst að láta skanna sig í þrívídd og enda mögulega sem skúlptúr á sýningu Karinar Sander: 1957-2057 í Hafnarhúsi.   

13:00 – 22:00 | Hafnar.haus yfirtaka
Hafnar.haus býður upp á skapandi dagskrá tónlistar, ljóða og gjörninga í Fjölnotarými Hafnarhússins.

13:00 – 22:00 | Erró klippismiðja  
Búðu til þitt eigið samklippsverk í klippismiðju Errós.

18:00 | Leiðsögn um Karin Sander: 1957 – 2057   
Sunna Ástþórsdóttir leiðir gesti um sýningu Karinar Sander 1957-2057.

20:00 | Leiðsögn um sýninguna Erró: Remix – ásamt úrvali af Víðáttum  
Björk Hrafnsdóttir leiðir gesti um sýninguna.

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KJARVALSSTAÐIR – opið frá kl. 10.00 til 21.00  
Flókagata 24, 105 Reykjavík  

Yfirstandandi sýningar á Kjarvalsstöðum:   

Kjarval og 20. öldin: Þegar nútíminn lagði að  

Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd  

10.00 – 21.00 | Ratleikur og þrautir fyrir börn  
Á Kjarvalsstöðum  verða í boði ratleikur og þrautir fyrir börn í tengslum við yfirstandandi sýningar.  

12:00-15:00 | Menningarmótið í bekkpressu  
Á Menningamótinu í bekkpressu koma saman ungir sem aldnir og keppa um Menningabikarinn í bekkpressu. Hoppukastali á svæðinu fyrir yngstu áhorfendurnar og pylsur í boði fyrir gesti og gangandi.  

14:00 – 16:00 | Reykjavík barn­anna – Tímaflakk um höfuð­borgina okkar.  
Fjölskylduleiðsögn og listasmiðja. Margrét Tryggvadóttir og Linda Ólafsdóttir höfundar bókarinnar „Reykjavík barnanna“ leiða fjölskyldur um sýninguna Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd og bjóða upp á skapandi listasmiðju fyrir alla fjölskylduna.  

15:00 | Leiðsögn sýningastjóra um Kjarval  
Edda Halldórsdóttir sýningastjóri leiðir fólk um sýninguna Kjarval og 20.öldin: Þegar nútíminn lagði að.  

20:00 | Leiðsögn Egils Helgasonar og Péturs H. Ármannssonar um Smáborg, Háborg – Reykjavík í mynd   
Egill Helgason, fjölmiðlamaður og menningarrýnir ásamt Pétri Ármannssyni, arkitekt og fræðimanni, leiða fólk um sýninguna Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd á Kjarvalsstöðum.  

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ÁSMUNDARSAFN – opið frá kl. 13.00 til 17.00  
Sigtún, 105 Reykjavík  

Yfirstandandi sýningar á Ásmundarsafni:

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Undraland  

Undraland: Eftirstöðvar  

Undraland: Opin vinnustofa

PROGRAMME  

HAFNARHÚS – Open 10:00–22:00  
Tryggvagata 17, 101 Reykjavík  

Current exhibitions:  
Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes  
Karin Sander: 1957–2057  

10:00–22:00 | Art Bingo for Children  
Join the Art Bingo adventure at Hafnarhús on Culture Night and discover the museum’s exhibitions in a fun and exciting new way.  

10:00–22:00 | People on stone plinths  
Take part in Karin Sander’s work People on stone plinths. Visitors step onto concrete slabs and become living sculptures in a collective performance.  

13:00–20:00 | 3D Scanning of Visitors  
Museum guests can have themselves scanned in 3D and may become part of Karin Sander’s exhibition 1957–2057.  

13:00–22:00 | Hafnar.haus Takeover   
Hafnar.haus presents a creative programme of music, poetry and performances throughout Culture Night in the Multipurpose Hall in Hafnarhús.  

13:00–22:00 | Erró Collage Workshop  
Create your own collage artwork in Erró’s drop-in workshop.  

18:00 | Guided Tour of Karin Sander: 1957–2057   
Sunna Ástþórsdóttir leads a tour of Karin Sander: 1957–2057.  

20:00 | Guided Tour of Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes  
Björk Hrafnsdóttir leads a tour of Erró:  Remix - including a selection of Scapes.  

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KJARVALSSTAÐIR  – Open 10:00–21:00  
Flókagata 24, 105 Reykjavík  

Current exhibitions:  
Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored  
Big Little City – Reykjavík in View  

10:00–21:00 | Treasure Hunt and Activities for Children  
Children can enjoy a treasure hunt and exhibition-related challenges throughout the day.  

12:00–15:00 | Culture Night | The Culture Cup in Bench Press  
Competitors of all ages come together to compete for the Culture Cup in bench pressing. A bouncy castle will be available for younger visitors, and complimentary hot dogs will be served.  

14:00–16:00 | Children’s Reykjavík – A Time-Travel Journey Through Our Capital  
Authors Margrét Tryggvadóttir and Linda Ólafsdóttir guide families through Big Little City – Reykjavík in View, followed by a hands-on workshop for all ages.   

15:00 | Curator’s Tour of the Kjarval Exhibition Curator Edda  Halldórsdóttir leads a tour of Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored    

20:00 | Guided Tour: Egill and Pétur in Big Little City – Reykjavík in View    
Journalist and cultural critic Egill Helgason and architect and scholar Pétur Ármannsson lead a tour of Big Little City – Reykjavík in View.   

ÁSMUNDARSAFN – Open 13:00–17:00  
Sigtún, 105 Reykjavík  

Current exhibitions:  
Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland
Wonderland: Remains
Wonderland: Open Studio

Welcome to the Reykjavík Art Museum on CULTURE NIGHT, Saturday, 22 August. Enjoy free admission to all museum exhibitions throughout Culture Night, along with a wide range of events and activities at Hafnarhús and Kjarvalsstaðir.

Culture Night 2026 at the Reykjavík Art Museum.

Verið velkomin í Listasafn Reykjavíkur á MENNINGARNÓTT laugardaginn 22. ágúst. Frítt á allar sýningar safnsins og fjöldi spennandi viðburða í boði í Hafnarhúsi og á Kjarvalsstöðum.

Menningarnótt 2026 á Listasafni Reykjavíkur

Fjölmenning

Smiðja

Opnun

Sýningarspjall

Keppt er í öllum aldurflokkum, karla og kvennaflokkum. Mótið er á mótaskrá Kraftlyftingasambandsins en einnig verður keppt í almenningsflokki um vegleg verðlaun.  

Hoppukastali á svæðinu fyrir yngstu áhorfendurnar og pylsur í boði fyrir gesti og gangandi.

Competitions are held in all age groups, for both men and women. The event is on the schedule of the Powerlifting Federation, and there will also be competitions in an open category with substantial prizes.  

Bouncy castle on site for our youngest visitors, with complimentary hot dogs for guests.

At the Culture Cup in bench press, young and old come together to compete for the Culture Trophy.

Culture Night | The Culture Cup in Bench Press

Á Menningamótinu í bekkpressu koma saman ungir sem aldnir og keppa um Menningabikarinn í bekkpressu.

Menningarnótt | Menningarmótið í bekkpressu

Með því að safna, klippa, líma og síðan mála blandar Erró þannig frjálslega saman sjónrænu efni og tilvísunum sem umbreytist í kraftmikil, sláandi og hlífðarlaus listaverk. Samklipp hefur verið undirstaða listsköpunar Errós í yfir sextíu ár.

Frítt er inn í öll safnhús Listasafns Reykjavíkur á Menningarnótt.

Through collecting, cutting, pasting and then painting Erró has freely mixed and quoted found material, transforming it into dynamic, striking and jarring visual collisions. Collage has formed the basis of Erró’s artworks for over sixty years.

Free entry to all venues of Reykjavík Art Museum on Culture Night.

Make your own collage at the Erró collage workshop!

Culture Night | Erró Collage Workshop

Búðu til þitt eigið samklippsverk í klippismiðju Errós á Menningarnótt!

Menningarnótt | Erró klippismiðja

Gestum safnsins býðst að láta skanna sig í þrívídd og enda
mögulega sem skúlptúr á sýningunni. Nú þegar hafa tæplega þúsund gestir verið skannaðir.  

Gestir verða skannaðir á Menningarnótt frá 13.00 - 20.00.  

Ekki allir skannaðir gestir enda sem skúlptúr á sýningunni en hægt er að kaupa upprunavottorð með mynd af skönnuninni þinni.   
Um er að ræða einstakt A4 prentverk, áritað af Karin Sander. Verð: 7.500 kr.  

Ef búið er að skanna þig er hægt að panta upprunavottorð út sýningatímabilið á listasafn@reykjavik.is

Visitors are invited to be 3D scanned, with the possibility of
becoming a sculpture as part of the exhibition.  

Scanning will take place on Culture Night from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  

Not all scanned visitors will become sculptures in the exhibition, but you can purchase a certificate featuring an image of your scan.
Each certificate is a unique A4 print, signed by Karin Sander.
Price: ISK 7.500   

If you have already been scanned, you can order a certificate of origin throughout the exhibition period by emailing listasafn@reykjavik.is.

Culture Night | 3D Scanning of Visitors

Menningarnótt | Þrívíddarskönnun gesta

Karin Sander

Hafnarhús

Karin Sander is a well known German artist who lives and works in Berlin, but over the past thirty years she has spent considerable time in Iceland and used the country as a subject in many of her works. This comprehensive exhibition, which is part of the Reykjavík Arts Festival, features pieces spanning the artist’s entire career and offers insight into the work of an international conceptual artist who engages with our environment and existence in unexpected and impactful ways.

In the exhibition, everyday life becomes new and unexpected, we ourselves become different and part of Karin Sander’s body of work.

Karin is known for revealing new dimensions of reality with minimal intervention. Many of her works rely on the participation of exhibition visitors or the influence of the surrounding environment, and her subtle interventions into the museum space invite reflection on the place itself—its purpose and its nature. The exhibition Karin Sander 1957–2057 explores notions of site-specificity in geographical, physical, and conceptual terms. Visitors are invited to have themselves scanned and 3D printed as small figurines; blank canvases placed out in the open accumulate surface textures under different conditions and a neon sign positions viewers within Hafnarhús according to Google Earth measurements.  

The exhibition features brand new paintings from the series Patina Paintings—works created by placing untreated canvas in unexpected locations. Over time, the canvases absorb the conditions of their surroundings. Instead of traditional brushwork, these pieces are formed through natural processes of weathering and thus become spontaneous landscape images of the places where they were situated.
The works were created across the country and reflect the artist’s interest in the interplay of material, time, and place. The frames have weathered in all regions of Iceland, and during her stay here last summer, Karin travelled around the country, placing canvases in locations including Arnarfjörður, Kerlingarfjöll, and on the north side of Hafnarhús.  

Karin Sander’s works often rely on the participation of exhibition visitors and on ideas about the influence of time and place on our self image and appearance. One of the exhibition’s most extensive pieces is Visitors 1:8. It is technically complex and develops over the course of the exhibition through the participation of guests.
Three dimensional prints of scanned visitors form an impressive sculpture as the work comes into being before the audience’s eyes. 


Sander studied in Stuttgart and New York and has had a Professorship at Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee and ETH Zurich.She represented Switzerland at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale together with Philip Ursprung. Karin Sander has received numerous international awards, including a research fellowship from the Whitney Museum in New York, the Rome Prize, and the Villa Romana Prize. Her works are included in public and private collections around the world; in this context, both the Reykjavík Art Museum and the National Gallery of Iceland hold works by her.
Exhibitions of her work have been presented at renowned institutions worldwide, such as Kunstmuseum Winterthur and SFMOMA. Karin is also the creator of notable public artworks, particularly in Germany and Switzerland, and in 2018 she won the competition for a public art installation in Vogabyggð in Reykjavík.   

The exhibition Karin Sander 1957–2057 introduces the artist’s conceptual approach to material and space, and how she surprises us with her innovative treatment of everyday objects, architecture, and digital media.

This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Goethe-Institut, the Icelandic Visual Arts Fund, the Museum Fund, i8 Gallery (Reykjavík), and Esther Schipper (Berlin / Paris / Seoul).

Karin Sander: 1957-2057

Erró

The Reykjavik Art Musem houses the most extensive collection of Erró's works and exhibitions from the Erró collection are a regular fixture at the Hafnarhús site of the Reykjavík Art Museum, with the purpose of giving as clear an image as possible of the diverse character of the artist's works.

Erró is one of the few Icelandic artists who has gained a foothold in the international art scene.

This exhibition is a comprehensive overview of the artist's colourful career that has made use of various media in the visual arts. Within it you will find everything from performances, video works, graphics, multiples and collages, to larger works in public spaces and paintings of all scales.

The artist Erró, born Guðmundur Guðmundsson in 1932 in Ólafsvík, West Iceland, was among the most prominent figures of the European avant-garde of the 1960s. In the history of art of that period, his name is associated not only with the renewal of pictorial figuration, due to his invention of narrative collage-paintings, but also with the Happenings movement and experimental cinema. Although his work is often, rightly, attached to artistic groups like Surrealism, Narrative Figuration or Pop art, it cannot be reduced to any one of them.

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Anne Elise Thompson

Arthur Wellington Fowles

Auguste Mayer

Daníel Þ. Magnússon

Franz Joseph Lederle

Guðjón Samúelsson

Gunnar H. Guðmundsson

Ingi Hrafn Stefánsson

Jóhanna Ólafsdóttir

Kolbrún Ýr Einarsdóttir

Anna María Bogadóttir

Bára Kristinsdóttir

Berglind Jóna Hlynsdóttir 

Dýrfinna Benita Basalan

Eggert Guðmundsson

Einar Jónsson

Erla Haraldsdóttir Bo Melin

Georg Guðni Hauksson

Guðmundur Ingólfsson

Gunnar Karlsson

Gylfi Gíslason

Halldór Pétursson

Hallgrímur Helgason

Hlynur Helgason

Johan Peter Raadsig

Jón Engilberts

Jón Gunnar Árnason

Jón Helgason

Katrín H. Ágústsdóttir

Lára Jóhannsdóttir

Linda Ólafsdóttir

Nicholas Pocock

Skarphéðinn Bergþóruson

Kristín Jónsdóttir

Louisa Matthíasdóttir

María Ólafsdóttir

Nína Tryggvadóttir

Ólafur Elíasson

Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir

Sigurður Árni Sigurðsson

Sveinn Þórðarson

Teiknistofan Höfði

Snorri Arinbjarnar

Sigurþór Hallbjörnsson

Steinunn Gunnlaugsdóttir

Studio Granda

Særún Stefánsdóttir

Þrándur Þórarinsson

Valtýr Pétursson

Vigdís Kristjánsdóttir

Þorvaldur Jónsson

Þorvaldur Skúlason

Þórarinn B. Þorláksson

Hrafn Gunnlaugsson

Peter Petersen (Bíó-Petersen)

Loftur Guðmundsson

Ósvaldur Knudsen

Kjartan Ó Bjarnason

Óskar Gíslason

Big Little City, image by Halldór Pétursson

Smáborg háborg forsíðumynd eftir Halldór Pétursson

Kjarvalsstaðir

Through what lens do artists view the city, and which of its features are highlighted in the visual language of different generations? 

What is the image of Reykjavík, past and present? 

We present new contemporary artworks, showcase interesting works from the museum’s collection, and borrow curious objects from other museums and institutions. Here, we see the city evolve from a trading post and fishing village into a multicultural center of culture and tourism, depicted in a lively, fragmented, and ever-changing way. The exhibition raises questions about identity, urban planning, social structure, and cultural self-perception. The tangible is displayed alongside the lyrical, the historical, and the artistic, the personal and the collective.  How does art help us see the familiar in a new light?

Among artists in the exhibition are: Spessi, Nína Tryggvadóttir, Jón Engilberts, Louisa Matthíasdóttir, Ólafur Elíasson, Anna María Bogadóttir, Hlynur Helgason, Bára Kristinsdóttir og Skarphéðinn Bergþóruson.

On the occasion of Reykjavík’s 240th anniversary in 2026, the city’s appearance throughout history is examined in a summer exhibition at Kjarvalsstaðir.
Alongside the exhibition, a rich program of entertainment, events, and educational activities will be offered. The project is developed by the exhibition team of the Reykjavík Art Museum, consisting of Markús Þór Andrésson, Sigurður Trausti Traustason, and Sunna Ástþórsdóttir.

Big Little City – Reykjavík in View

Jóhannes S. Kjarval

These works extend across the period during which the painter Jóhannes S. Kjarval was active. In examining Kjarval's journey, and comparing it to the works of his contemporaries, it is possible to see the various ways art changes and evolves. The prevailing spirit of each era is reflected in differing shifts in style, and the artworks provide insight into the artists' inspirations, their surroundings and circumstances. Initially, a romantic view of nature predominated, but symbolism soon after made its way into the narrative, and the first steps were taken towards breaking away from naturalistic imagery.

In this exhibition, you can see artworks by Icelandic artists that span approximately six decades following the turn of the 20th century. 

Kjarval was born in 1885 and died in 1972. Between these points in time lies a significant period in cultural history and global society. This was a period of profound social transformation, industrialisation, urban development and technological advancement. Icelandic artists traveled abroad for education, returned home with fresh ideas, and were inspired by the currents and movements they encountered in Europe. In this sense, artists truly are not isolated islands in world history, but rather engage with various circumstances, innovations, revolutions and conflicts through their works.

As contemporary values embedded themselves in Icelandic society, the subjects and methods of artists evolved. Traditional artistic boundaries were shattered, and abstraction found its place. The then present era left its mark on Icelandic society, as is evident in the progress and diversity of artists' creative endeavors, and in the lifelong work of Kjarval.

In 1973, a year following Kjarval's death, Kjarvalsstaðir was inaugurated and named in his honor. Kjarval is one of the most beloved artists of the nation and his works have been exhibited here for half a century. Kjarval‘s works and those of other artists in this exhibition come from the collection of Reykjavik Art Museum, with the exception of Kjarval's famous _Mountain Milk_ (_Fjallamjólk_), one of the artist's most renowned pieces, which is currently on loan from ASÍ Art Museum.

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Ásmundur Sveinsson

Myndhöggvarinn að störfum á vinnustofu sinni.

Ásmundarsafn

Sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson worked in different materials. He carved wood, cut stone, shaped clay, transferred forms to concrete, in addition to working with iron and found materials. Many of his best-known works are enlarged and placed in public space around the city. His works were created in relentless experimentation in the studio where he allowed material, content and space work hand in hand. The sculptures are either figurative or abstract, as Ásmundur went through various periods in his artistic creation. In the exhibition, we go back in time and into Ásmundur's studio. We get a sense of what happened behind the scenes in the artist's search for the appropriate completion for the ideas that emerged.

 In the exhibition, we go back in time and into Ásmundur's studio.

Wonderland was the name of the next farm to the place in Laugardalur where Ásmundur built his studio, the "dome" in Sigtún. He lived here with his family, built and developed unique facilities for artistic creation. The house was partially rebuilt and opened as an art museum and sculpture garden after Ásmundur's death over 40 years ago. Reykjavík Art Museum's aim ever since has been to show his work in all its variety and to provide a platform for a younger generation of artists to show their own work in the context of his heritage.

Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893–1982) was one of the pioneers of Icelandic sculpture. He studied at the Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm, spent several years in Paris and travelled through Greece and Italy. Ásmundur always remained loyal to the position that art had a mission for the people and belonged among them. He was called the folk poet in art, and without a doubt, that ideal is rooted in his attitude to life as much as in the sculptural tradition.

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Sara Riel

Halldór Ásgeirsson

Finnur Arnar Arnarson

Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir

Amanda Riffo

Unnar Örn J. Auðarson

The exhibition features a variety of works that bear the marks of experimentation and the creativity that took place while the artists worked in the museum. The project was conceived as a living dialogue between artist, space and viewer — and the remains that are now on display are both traces, memories and new interpretations of what was created.

The exhibition Remnants in  Ásmundarsafn museum presents works by six artists who have stayed in the museum's studio in a special project called Wonderland- work in Progress, which was ongoing during fall-winter of 2025-2026. Ssix artists were given the opportunity to work in close connection with the museum's space, the spirit of Ásmundur Sveinsson and its daily activities.

The exhibition features work by:
Unnar Örn, Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Amanda Riffo, Halldór Ásgeirsson, Sara Riel and Finnur Arnar Arnarsson. 
The remainder highlights diverse perspectives and working methods, but together the works form a vibrant whole that reflects the artists' time in the museum and opens up new ways of perceiving Ásmundarsafn and its surroundings.


Wonderland: Remnants

Wonderland: Open Workshop offers children, families, and all visitors to the museum the opportunity to take part in a creative process that explores form, materials, and ideas in an open and accessible way.
The studio focuses on the working methods of Ásmundur Sveinsson — how he developed his work through experimentation, repetition, and a close dialogue with materials. Emphasis is placed on simple yet varied materials and a hands-on, craft-based approach, where the process itself is valued more highly than the final outcome.

Be warmly welcomed to Wonderland in Ásmundarsafn – an open studio that places emphasis on togetherness and living creativity, inspired by the methods of Ásmundur Sveinsson.

Four workshops will be offered, open on a rotating basis throughout the period. Each workshop explores different pathways in creative practice and introduces varied approaches to working with materials. Visitors are welcome to come and go as they please, stay for a short time or longer, and participate on their own terms—alone, with others, or in intergenerational settings.
Wonderland: Open Workshop is a platform for curiosity, play, and togetherness. It creates a space where ideas emerge through hands-on making, conversation is allowed to flow freely, and artistic creation becomes alive, open, and shaped by the participants themselves.  

Wonderland: Open Workshop is an independent continuation of the project Wonderland: Work in Progress, in which six artists were invited to relocate their studios to Ásmundarsafn for an extended period of time. That project focused on artistic processes and open dialogue between the artist, the artworks, and visitors. In the Open Workshop, this approach is further developed, with a particular emphasis on the participation of children and families.

Welcome to the
Reykjavík Art Museum

Exhibitions

Karin Sander: 1957-2057

Karin Sander: 1957-2057

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Big Little City – Reykjavík in View

Big Little City – Reykjavík in View

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Wonderland: Remnants

Wonderland: Remnants

Wonderland: Open workshop

Wonderland: Open workshop

Events

Locations

Ásmundarsafn

Hafnarhús

Kjarvalsstaðir