No doubt stimulating all that great local talent is the Reykjavik Art Museum, actually a consortium of three different museums located throughout the city. The three locations all have their own flavor and their own specialties in order to make the best in Icelandic art available to culture-seekers.
Asmundarsafn, a sculpture museum, exclusively features the works of Asmundur Sveinsson, born in 1883 when Iceland was still a Danish colony. The museum is popular with families, and children love to play hide and seek amongst the statues in the open air garden.
Hafarhus, downtown by the harbor, is the most centrally located. This vibrant space is home to avante garde art produced by Iceland’s up and coming artists, as well as a collection of works by the famous pop-artist Erro.
Kjarvalsstadir’s claim to fame is a permanent exhibition of paintings by beloved Icelandic painter Johannes Kjarval. The museum also focuses on modern design and architecture.
There is sure to be something for everyone at one or all of these locations, and admission is always free. Information on all three museums is available by logging on to artmuseum.is.
From time to time we like to take a look at special tours available throughout the year. Perfect for those with just a short layover in the country, the Reykjavik Grand Excursion is a detailed and comprehensive introduction to Reykjavik’s past and present. During this 2-1/2 hour tour, Reykjavik’s main attractions are highlighted on foot and by bus.
When it comes time to plan a vacation, naturally we hope you’ll want to go to Iceland. But that wasn’t quite the destination of Icelandic sea captain Gunnar Eggertson when he sailed his replica Viking ship,