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

Í tilefni 240 ára afmælis Reykjavíkur árið 2026 er ásýnd borgarinnar í gegnum tíðina tekin til skoðunar á sumarsýningu á Kjarvalsstöðum.  

Við kynnum ný samtímalistaverk, drögum fram áhugaverð listaverk úr safneign og fáum að láni forvitnilega muni frá öðrum söfnum og stofnunum. Þar sjáum við borgina þróast frá kaupstað og sjávarþorpi til fjölþjóðlegrar menningar- og ferðamannaborgar í lifandi, brotakenndri og síbreytilegri mynd. Sýningin kallar fram spurningar um ímynd, borgarskipulag, samfélagsgerð og menningarlega sjálfsmynd. Hinu áþreifanlega er stillt upp samhliða hinu ljóðræna, hinu sögulega og hinu listræna, hinu persónulega og hinu sammannlega.  

Aðgöngumiði á safnið gildir. Frítt fyrir Árskorts- og Menningarkorthafa, frítt fyrir yngri en 18 ára.

On the occasion of Reykjavík’s 240th anniversary in 2026, the city’s appearance throughout history is examined in a summer exhibition at Kjarvalsstaðir.  

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.  

Admission with museum ticket. Free for Annual pass- and Culture Card holders, free for visitors under 18.

Gallery talk for the exhibition Big Little City – Images of Reykjavík in Kjarvalsstaðir on Sunday, 26 July at 2:00 PM.

Sunday Gallery Talk | Big Little City – Images of Reykjavík

Leiðsögn um sýninguna Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd á Kjarvalsstöðum, sunnudag 26. júlí, kl. 14.00.

Sunnudagsleiðsögn | Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd

Sýning

Sýningarspjall

Í tilefni 240 ára afmælis Reykjavíkur árið 2026 er ásýnd borgarinnar í gegnum tíðina tekin til skoðunar á sumarsýningu á Kjarvalsstöðum.    

Við kynnum ný samtímalistaverk, drögum fram áhugaverð listaverk úr safneign og fáum að láni forvitnilega muni frá öðrum söfnum og stofnunum. Þar sjáum við borgina þróast frá kaupstað og sjávarþorpi til fjölþjóðlegrar menningar- og ferðamannaborgar í lifandi, brotakenndri og síbreytilegri mynd. Sýningin kallar fram spurningar um ímynd, borgarskipulag, samfélagsgerð og menningarlega sjálfsmynd. Hinu áþreifanlega er stillt upp samhliða hinu ljóðræna, hinu sögulega og hinu listræna, hinu persónulega og hinu sammannlega.   

Aðgöngumiði á safnið gildir. Frítt fyrir Árskorts- og Menningarkorthafa, frítt fyrir yngri en 18 ára.

Gallery talk with curator Sunna Ástþórsdóttir for the exhibition Big Little City – Images of Reykjavík in Kjarvalsstaðir on Sunday, 9th of August at 2PM.

Sunday Gallery Talk with Curator | Big Little City – Images of Reykjavík

Sunna Ástþórsdóttir sýningarstjóri verður með leiðsögn um sýninguna Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd á Kjarvalsstöðum, sunnudag 9. ágúst kl 14.00.

Sunnudagsleiðsögn sýningarstjóra | Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd

Ingibjörg Sólrún var borgarfulltrúi 1982-1988 og 1994-2006 og borgarstjóri Reykjavíkurborgar frá árinu 1994-2003.   

Í tilefni 240 ára afmælis Reykjavíkur árið 2026 er ásýnd borgarinnar í gegnum tíðina tekin til skoðunar á sumarsýningu á Kjarvalsstöðum.  

Við kynnum ný samtímalistaverk, drögum fram áhugaverð listaverk úr safneign og fáum að láni forvitnilega muni frá öðrum söfnum og stofnunum. Þar sjáum við borgina þróast frá kaupstað og sjávarþorpi til fjölþjóðlegrar menningar- og ferðamannaborgar í lifandi, brotakenndri og síbreytilegri mynd. Sýningin kallar fram spurningar um ímynd, borgarskipulag, samfélagsgerð og menningarlega sjálfsmynd. Hinu áþreifanlega er stillt upp samhliða hinu ljóðræna, hinu sögulega og hinu listræna, hinu persónulega og hinu sammannlega.  

Aðgöngumiði á safnið gildir. Frítt fyrir Árskorts- og Menningarkorthafa, frítt fyrir yngri en 18 ára.

Ingibjörg Sólrún was a city councillor from 1982 to 1988 and again from 1994 to 2006, and served as the Mayor of Reykjavík from 1994 to 2003.  

On the occasion of Reykjavík’s 240th anniversary in 2026, the city’s appearance throughout history is examined in a summer exhibition at Kjarvalsstaðir.  

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.  

Admission with museum ticket. Free for Annual pass- and Culture Card holders, free for visitors under 18.

Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir guides visitors through the exhibition Big Little City – Images of Reykjavík in Kjarvalsstaðir on Sunday, 16 August at 2:00 PM.

Sunday Gallery Talk with Ingibjörg Sólrún | Big Little City – Images of Reykjavík

Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir leiðir gesti um sýninguna Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd á Kjarvalsstöðum, sunnudag 16. ágúst, kl. 14.00.

Sunnudagsleiðsögn með Ingibjörgu Sólrúnu | Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd

Curator Sigurður Trausti Traustason will guide visitors through the exhibition Big Little City – Images of Reykjavík in Kjarvalsstaðir on Sunday, 30 August at 2:00 PM.

Sigurður Trausti Traustason sýningarstjóri leiðir gesti um sýninguna Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd á Kjarvalsstöðum, sunnudag 30. ágúst, kl. 14.00.

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

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

Welcome to the
Reykjavík Art Museum