Listasafn Reykjavíkur í samstarfi við Miðstöð hönnunar og arkitektúrs efnir til samtals um verkefnið Hraunmyndanir, framlag íslands til 19. alþjóðlega Feneyjartvíæringsins í arkitektúr 2025 og birtingarmyndir hrauns í bæði myndlist og arkitektúr á Íslandi. Sýningin Hraunmyndanir (e. Lavaforming) er til sýnis í Listasafni Reykjavíkur – Hafnarhúsi til 26. apríl 2026.   

Þátttakendur í samtalinu eru fólkið á bakvið verkefnið sjálft og sýninguna í Listasafni Reykjavíkur: s.ap arkitektar; Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, Arnar Skarphéðinsson og Björg Skarphéðinsdóttir, Andri Snær Magnason, rithöfundur og Halldór Ásgeirsson, myndlistarmaður. Markús Þór Andrésson, safnstjóri, leiðir samtalið.

Hraunmyndanir er framtíðarsýn í arkitektúr þar sem glóandi hraun er notað sem byggingarefni fyrir mannvirki og heilar borgir. Sýningin segir sögu framtíðarsamfélags sem hefur lært að temja hraunflæði, nýta sér það og þannig breytt staðbundinni ógn í tækifæri til sköpunar.   

s. ap arkitektar er ung en reynslumikil arkitektastofa sem starfar á mörkum hönnunar, tækni og vísinda. Verkefni stofunnar eru bæði hefðbundin arkitekta- og hönnunar verkefni en einnig tilraunakennd rannsóknarverkefni þar sem farið er framhjá núverandi kerfum og horft til tækni framtíðarinnar með það að markmiði að þróa nýjar aðferðir tengdar mannvirkjagerð og sporna við áhrifum hennar á loftslagsbreytingar.  

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

Reykjavík Art Museum in collaboration with Icelandic Design and Architecture hosts a discussion on the project Lava Formations, Iceland’s contribution to the 19th International Architecture Biennale in Venice in 2025, and on the manifestations of lava in both visual art and architecture in Iceland. The exhibition Lava Formations is on view at Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús until 26 April 2026.  

Participants in the discussion are the team behind the project itself and the exhibition at Reykjavík Art Museum: s.ap architects; Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, Arnar Skarphéðinsson, and Björg Skarphéðinsdóttir, writer Andri Snær Magnason, and visual artist Halldór Ásgeirsson. The discussion will be moderated by Markús Þór Andrésson, Museum Director.

Lava Formations presents a future vision of architecture in which molten lava is used as a building material for structures and entire cities. The exhibition tells the story of a future society that has learned to tame lava flows, make use of them, and thereby transform a local threat into an opportunity for creativity.  

s.ap architects is a young yet experienced architecture studio that operates at the intersection of design, technology, and science. The studio’s work includes both conventional architectural and design projects as well as experimental research initiatives that move beyond existing systems, looking toward future technologies with the aim of developing new methods of construction and mitigating the impact of the built environment on climate change.  

Museum admission applies. Free entry for annual pass holders and Culture Card holders, and free for visitors under 18 years of age.

Conversation on the exhibition Lavaformin, Sunday 12th of April at 2.00-3.00 PM in Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús.

Conversation on Lavaforming

Samtal um sýninguna Hraunmyndanir, sunnudag 12.apríl kl. 14.00–15.00, Listasafn Reykjavíkur – Hafnarhús.

Samtal um Hraunmyndanir

Fræðsla

Málþing

Sýningarspjall

Fyrirlestur

En la exposición, Hugo aborda el complejo proceso de adaptarse a una nueva cultura como inmigrante en Islandia. Examina elementos fundamentales de la cultura islandesa y mexicana: el lenguaje, la gastronomía, la historia del arte y la música, y analiza cómo se mezclan, qué paralelos surgen y qué significa pertenecer.   

Hugo nació en México, pero vive y trabaja en Reikiavik. Tiene una maestría en artes visuales de la Universidad de las Artes de Islandia y ha participado activamente en proyectos comunitarios centrados en la inclusión de grupos minoritarios en Islandia.  

Intérprete: Florencia Bugallo Dukelsky  

La entrada al museo es válida. Entrada gratuita para titulares de Carné Anual y Carné Cultural, y gratuita para menores de 18 años.
//  
Fimmtudaginn 16. apríl kl. 20.00 í Hafnarhúsi mun listamaðurinn Hugo Llanes vera með leiðsögn um sýninguna Bonita á spænsku. Leiðsögnin mun vera túlkuð á íslensku á staðnum.  

Á sýningunni fjallar Hugo um það margslungna ferli að aðlagast nýrri menningu sem innflytjandi á íslandi. Hann tekur fyrir meginþætti íslenskrar og mexíkóskrar menningar – tungumál, mat, listasögu og tónlist – og kannar hvernig þeir blandast saman, hvaða hliðstæður koma í ljós og hvað það þýðir að tilheyra.   

Hugo er fæddur í Mexikó en býr og starfar í Reykjavík. Hann er með meistaragráðu í myndlist frá Listaháskóla Íslands og hefur verið virkur þáttakandi í samfélagslegum verkefnum sem miða að inngildingu minnihlutahópa á Íslandi.  

Túlkur: Florencia Bugallo Dukelsky  

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

In the exhibition, Hugo explores the complex experience of adapting to a new society as an immigrant in Iceland. Engaging with foundational elements of both Icelandic and Mexican culture: language, food, art history, and music, he examines how they mix, what parallels emerge, and what it means to belong.  

Hugo was born in Mexico but lives and works in Reykjavík. He holds a master’s degree in fine arts from the Iceland University of the Arts and has been an active participant in community projects aimed at promoting inclusion of minority groups in Iceland.  

Interpreter: Florencia Bugallo Dukelsky  

Admission with museum ticket. Free for Annual pass- and Culture Card holders, free for visitors under 18.
//  
En la exposición, Hugo aborda el complejo proceso de adaptarse a una nueva cultura como inmigrante en Islandia. Examina elementos fundamentales de la cultura islandesa y mexicana: el lenguaje, la gastronomía, la historia del arte y la música, y analiza cómo se mezclan, qué paralelos surgen y qué significa pertenecer.   

Hugo nació en México, pero vive y trabaja en Reikiavik. Tiene una maestría en artes visuales de la Universidad de las Artes de Islandia y ha participado activamente en proyectos comunitarios centrados en la inclusión de grupos minoritarios en Islandia.  

Intérprete: Florencia Bugallo Dukelsky  

La entrada al museo es válida. Entrada gratuita para titulares de Carné Anual y Carné Cultural, y gratuita para menores de 18 años.

On Thursday, April 16th at 20.00 in Hafnarhús, artist Hugo Llanes will give a guided tour of the exhibition Bonita in Spanish. The tour will be interpreted into Icelandic on site.

Visita guiada en español e islandés – Hugo Llanes: Bonita | Guided Tour in Spanish and Icelandic – Hugo Llanes: Bonita

El jueves 16 de abril, a las 20.00 en Hafnarhús, el artista Hugo Llanes ofrecerá una visita guiada de la exposición Bonita en español. La visita será interpretada al islandés en el lugar.

Visita guiada en español e islandés – Hugo Llanes: Bonita | Leiðsögn á spænsku og íslensku – Hugo Llanes: Bonita

Fjölmenning

Leiðsögn

Sigurður Trausti Traustason, deildarstjóri safneignar , veitir innsýn í varðveislu og söfnun listaverka og Edda Halldórsdóttir, sérfræðingur í verkum Kjarvals, segir frá listamanninum.  

Skráning á viðburðinn er nauðsynleg, þátttaka hámarkast við 12 manns.  

Vilji árskorthafi taka með sér gest á viðburðinn þarf sá gestur að borga aðgangseyri inn á safnið. Hámark einn gestur á hvern árskorthafa og skrá þarf gestinn á viðburðinn.  

Skráningarhlekkur: https://outlook.office.com/book/ListasafnReykjavkurViburir@reykjavik.is/

Sigurður Trausti Traustason, Head of Collections, offers insight into the preservation and acquisition of artworks while Edda Halldórsdóttir, an expert in Kjarvals, presents an introduction to the artist.

Registration for the event is necessary, maximum of 12 participants.  

Annual pass holders may bring one guest to the event however the guest is required to pay the museum admission fee. Please note that the guest must also be registered for the event.  

Registration link: https://outlook.office.com/book/ListasafnReykjavkurViburir@reykjavik.is/

We offer our annual pass holders a unique opportunity to visit our art archive facilities in Kjarvalsstaðir, along with a guided tour of the exhibition Kjarval and the 20th Cent­ury: When Modernity Anchored. Sunday 19th of April at 14.00 PM.

Annual pass holders | Visit to art archives in Kjarvalsstaðir and a guided tour on Kjarval

Við bjóðum árskorthöfum okkar upp á einstakt tækifæri til að heimsækja listaverkageymslur okkar á Kjarvalsstöðum auk þess að fá leiðsögn um sýninguna Kjarval og 20. öldin: Þegar nútíminn lagði að. Sunnudag 19. apríl kl. 14.00.

Árskortshafar | Innlit í listaverkageymslur Kjarvalsstaða og leiðsögn um Kjarval

Sýningin opnar um leið og Listahátíð í Reykjavík og verður boðið upp á spennandi opnunardagskrá í Hafnarhúsi og sérstakan opnunargjörning eftir Karin Sander.

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.  

Listasafn Reykjavíkur setur upp yfirgripsmikla sýningu með glænýjum og eldri verkum í samstarfi við Listahátíð í Reykjavík. Verk Karinar byggja gjarnan á þátttöku gesta og hugmyndum um samspili efnis, tíma og staðar. Á sýningunni Karin Sander 1957-2057 er fjallað um staðarvitund í landfræðilegum, líkamlegum og huglægum skilningi. Sýningargestum er boðið að láta skanna sig og prenta af af sér smástyttu; auðir strigar á víðavangi safna áferð við mismunandi aðstæður; og neonskilti staðsetur áhorfendur í Hafnarhúsi samkvæmt mælingum GoogleEarth.  

Karin Sander (1957) er þekkt fyrir hugmyndafræðilega nálgun sína á efni og rými þar sem hún vinnur með hversdagslega hluti, arkitektúr og stafræna miðla. Verk hennar hafa verið sýnd á virtum alþjóðlegum vettvangi, þar á meðal Arkitektúrtvíæringnum í Feneyjum 2023, Kunstmuseum Winterthur og SFMoma. Árið 2018 vann Karin samkeppni um útilistaverk í Vogabyggð í Reykjavík.

The exhibition opens at the same time as the Reykjavík Arts Festival and will feature a grand opening program at the museum and a special opening performance by Karin Sander.

Karin Sander is a celebrated German artist who has cultivated a long-standing relationship with Iceland since her first visit thirty years ago. Many of her works draw inspiration from the country’s landscape, culture, and society.  

Reykjavík Art Museum now presents a comprehensive exhibition of both new and earlier works, organized in collaboration with the Reykjavík Arts Festival. Sander’s practice often involves the participation of visitors and explores the interplay between material, time, and place. The exhbition presence in place examines notions of presence and site-specificity - geographical, bodily, and experiential. Visitors are invited to be 3D scanned and reproduced as small figurines; blank canvases placed throughout the country gather surface traces under varying conditions; and a neon sign situates viewers within Hafnarhús according to Google Earth coordinates.  

Karin Sander (b.1957) is known for her conceptual approach to material and space, working with everyday objects, architecture, and digital media. Her work has been exhibited internationally at leading institutions, including the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023, Kunstmuseum Winterthur, and SFMoma. In 2018, she won a competition for a public artwork in Reykjavík.

Welcome to the opening of the exhibition Karin Sander 1957-2057 which will open at the Reykjavík Arts Festival on May 30th at 2:00 PM in Hafnarhús.

Opening | Karin Sander 1957-2057

Verið velkomin á opnun sýningarinnar Karin Sander 1957-2057 sem verður opnuð á Listahátíð í Reykjavík 30. maí kl. 14.00 í Hafnarhúsi.

Opnun | Karin Sander 1957-2057

Opnun

Sýning

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.  

Listasafn Reykjavíkur setur upp yfirgripsmikla sýningu með glænýjum og eldri verkum í samstarfi við Listahátíð í Reykjavík. Verk Karinar byggja gjarnan á þátttöku gesta og hugmyndum um samspili efnis, tíma og staðar. Á sýningunni Karin Sander 1957-2057 er fjallað um staðarvitund í landfræðilegum, líkamlegum og huglægum skilningi. Sýningargestum er boðið að láta skanna sig og prenta af af sér smástyttu; auðir strigar á víðavangi safna áferð við mismunandi aðstæður; og neonskilti staðsetur áhorfendur í Hafnarhúsi samkvæmt mælingum GoogleEarth.  

Karin Sander (1957) er þekkt fyrir hugmyndafræðilega nálgun sína á efni og rými þar sem hún vinnur með hversdagslega hluti, arkitektúr og stafræna miðla. Verk hennar hafa verið sýnd á virtum alþjóðlegum vettvangi, þar á meðal Arkitektúrtvíæringnum í Feneyjum 2023, Kunstmuseum Winterthur og SFMoma. Árið 2018 vann Karin samkeppni um útilistaverk í Vogabyggð í Reykjavík.  

Leiðsögnin fer fram á ensku.

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

Karin Sander is a celebrated German artist who has cultivated a long-standing relationship with Iceland since her first visit thirty years ago. Many of her works draw inspiration from the country’s landscape, culture, and society.  

Reykjavík Art Museum now presents a comprehensive exhibition of both new and earlier works, organized in collaboration with the Reykjavík Arts Festival. Sander’s practice often involves the participation of visitors and explores the interplay between material, time, and place. The exhbition presence in place examines notions of presence and site-specificity - geographical, bodily, and experiential. Visitors are invited to be 3D scanned and reproduced as small figurines; blank canvases placed throughout the country gather surface traces under varying conditions; and a neon sign situates viewers within Hafnarhús according to Google Earth coordinates.  

Karin Sander (b.1957) is known for her conceptual approach to material and space, working with everyday objects, architecture, and digital media. Her work has been exhibited internationally at leading institutions, including the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023.  

The tour will be in english.

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

Karin Sander gives a talk on her exhibition Karin Sander 1957-2057 in Hafnarhús, 31st of May at 1 PM.

Artist talk with Karin Sander | Karin Sander 1957-2057

Karin Sander tekur þátt í samtali við sýningarstjóra um sýningu sína Karin Sander 1957-2057 í Hafnarhúsi 31. maí kl. 13.00.

Karin Sander í samtali við sýningarstjóra

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.  

Listasafn Reykjavíkur setur upp yfirgripsmikla sýningu með glænýjum og eldri verkum í samstarfi við Listahátíð í Reykjavík. Verk Karinar byggja gjarnan á þátttöku gesta og hugmyndum um samspili efnis, tíma og staðar. Á sýningunni Karin Sander 1957-2057 er fjallað um staðarvitund í landfræðilegum, líkamlegum og huglægum skilningi. Sýningargestum er boðið að láta skanna sig og prenta af af sér smástyttu; auðir strigar á víðavangi safna áferð við mismunandi aðstæður; og neonskilti staðsetur áhorfendur í Hafnarhúsi samkvæmt mælingum GoogleEarth.

Karin Sander (1957) er þekkt fyrir hugmyndafræðilega nálgun sína á efni og rými þar sem hún vinnur með hversdagslega hluti, arkitektúr og stafræna miðla. Verk hennar hafa verið sýnd á virtum alþjóðlegum vettvangi, þar á meðal Arkitektúrtvíæringnum í Feneyjum 2023, Kunstmuseum Winterthur og SFMoma. Árið 2018 vann Karin samkeppni um útilistaverk í Vogabyggð í Reykjavík.

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

Karin Sander is a celebrated German artist who has cultivated a long-standing relationship with Iceland since her first visit thirty years ago.  

Many of her works draw inspiration from the country’s landscape, culture, and society.  

Reykjavík Art Museum now presents a comprehensive exhibition of both new and earlier works, organized in collaboration with the Reykjavík Arts Festival. Sander’s practice often involves the participation of visitors and explores the interplay between material, time, and place. The exhbition presence in place examines notions of presence and site-specificity - geographical, bodily, and experiential. Visitors are invited to be 3D scanned and reproduced as small figurines; blank canvases placed throughout the country gather surface traces under varying conditions; and a neon sign situates viewers within Hafnarhús according to Google Earth coordinates.  

Karin Sander (b.1957) is known for her conceptual approach to material and space, working with everyday objects, architecture, and digital media. Her work has been exhibited internationally at leading institutions, including the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023, Kunstmuseum Winterthur, and SFMoma. In 2018, she won a competition for a public artwork in Reykjavík.

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

Curators Markús Þór Andrésson and Ólöf Kristín Sigurðarsdóttir guide guest through the exhibition Karin Sander 1957-2057 in Hafnarhús Thursday 4th of June at 8 PM.

Curator led tour | Karin Sander 1957-2057

Markús Þór Andrésson og Ólöf Kristín Sigurðardóttir sýningarstjórar leiða gesti um sýningu Karin Sander: Karin Sander 1957-2057, í Hafnarhúsi fimmtudaginn 4. júní kl. 20.00.

Leiðsögn sýningarstjóra | Karin Sander 1957-2057

Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, Ásmundarsafn

Erró

Hafnarhús

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

Katrín Elvarsdóttir

Black and White close up photo of  Fenjagreni by artist Katrínu Elvarsdóttur

At the forefront are three plant species, cherry blossom, banana plant, and Dawn Redwood each with a long and fascinating history connecting different continents. She follows them with her camera – not to pin them down, but to record them and transform them into another form. In the photograph they belong to another world, created by the artist. They bear witness to something movable, but not forgotten, of what can flourish — even far away from its origins.

In A Botanical Future, Katrín focuses on plants that have traveled between habitats. 

Katrín Elvarsdóttir:  A Botanical Future

This project was Iceland's contribution to the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2025. The exhibition tells the story of a future society that has learned to tame lava flows, utilize them, and thus turn a local threat into an opportunity for creativity.

Lavaforming is a proposal on how the brutal force of lava can be turned into a valuable resource, capable of lowering atmospheric emissions through its future use as a sustainable building material.

In our story, placed in 2150, we have harnessed the lava flow, just as we did with geothermal energy 200 years earlier in Iceland. The main goal of Lavaforming is to show that architecture can be the force that rethinks and shapes a new future with sustainability, innovation, and creative thinking. A lava flow can contain enough building material for the foundations of an entire city to rise in a matter of weeks without harmful mining and non-renewable energy generation. Lavaforming is exploring a building material that has never been used before. The theme is both a proposal and a metaphor - architecture is in a paradigm shift, many of our current methods have been deemed obsolete or harmful in the long term. In our current predicament - we need to be bold, think in new ways, look at challenges and find the right resources - Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, curator, architect, founder and creative director of Lavaforming. 

Architect Arnhildur Pálmadóttir is the founder and owner of s.ap architects, which specializes in sustainability and circularity in construction, and the curator and the creative director of Lavaforming. She is renowned for her entrepreneurial attitude and interdisciplinary interest that she uses to tackle projects from various perspectives. 

The exhibition team of the Venice Biennale comes from s. ap architects, an interdisciplinary research studio focusing on speculative projects of the future, along with interdisciplinary collaborators. The exhibition team consists of Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, Arnar Skarphéðinsson, Björg Skarphéðinsdóttir, Sukanya Mukherjee, Jack Armitage, and Andri Snær Magnason. The graphic design is handled by the design studio Studio Studio, and Markús Þór Andrésson, Head of Exhibitions and Mediation at the Reykjavík Art Museum, serves as the exhibition's consultant. 


s. ap architects: Lavaforming

Hugo Llanes

In this exhibition Llanes examines the intricate and often contradictory experience of cultural adaptation as an immigrant. Engaging with foundational elements of both Icelandic and Mexican/Latino culture: language, food, art history, and music, he investigates how cultural exchanges take shape, which parallels are in place and what it means to belong. 

Hugo Llanes (b. 1990) is the 54th artist to exhibit in Gallery D, a space dedicated to artists whose practice has had a formative influence on the Icelandic visual arts scene and who are invited to present their first solo exhibition in a public museum.

In Gallery D his work draws on the structures and peculiarities of language, errors in translation, lived experience, and the symbolic markers encountered throughout his journey. For Llanes, thoughts and words exist in a constant state of translation: errors, gaps, and misunderstandings naturally arise as his cultural identity is slowly transforming. From this liminal space he created Bonita, an alter ego who inhabits the in between of cultural identities, where interpretation and meaning remain perpetually in flux. Words shift as they move from one language to another; their emotional resonance alters or fades. In much the same way, the self is reshaped through the movement between countries looking for a new home, whether voluntary or driven by necessity. Bonita attempts to hold on to traces of her former identity while simultaneously adapting to a new social landscape.

The exhibition is made up of multiple different art mediums, supported by a structure of steel pipes traditionally used for scaffolding. A metaphor for a state under construction and of transformation. Punk aesthetics, vulnerability, and humour infuse the exhibition, serving as tools through which the artist communicates both collective and deeply personal aspects of the immigrant experience in Iceland.

Originally from Mexico, Llanes now lives and works in Reykjavík. He holds an MFA in Fine Arts from the Iceland University of the Arts and a BA in Visual Arts from Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. He has been an active participant in initiatives that advocate for the inclusion of minority communities, including Komd’inn, Artists in Iceland Action Visa Group, and Get Together (GETA).


D54 Hugo Llanes: Bonita

Jóhannes S. Kjarval

Kjarvalsstaðir

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

Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir

A picture of Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir´s work 

Guðrún has carved out a unique place in Icelandic art with works that explore the relationship between nature and man, shaped by the weather and light in Iceland. She approaches nature as a living force, where stillness and power meet and unexpected beauty emerges in humble moments.

Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir's exhibition in the West Hall of Kjarvalsstaðir brings the vastness of nature closer to us.

Guðrún's work reflects a constant search for balance and captures both the small and the vast in the landscape. In her paintings, nature appears as an ever-changing process where transformation and movement are in constant collaboration. By connecting different materials and methods – videos, light, reflections, rhymes and music – a place and time is created where perception itself becomes part of the work. In recent years, she has worked with materials from the environment – ​​rocks, minerals and coal (surtabrandur) – and created works that carry with them the legacy of geological history. The exhibition spans works from Guðrún's decades-long career and provides a comprehensive picture of the artist's tireless interest in capturing our experience of nature - from tiny drops of water to misty mountain peaks, the blue of the distance and light that changes at every moment. The exhibition connects nature, perception, and time, evoking an experience that is both visual and emotional – a moment to pause and feel connected to the environment.

A short bio of the artist:
Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir was born in 1950 and studied art at the École des Beaux-Arts in Aix-en-Provence, France. She held her first solo exhibition in Kjarvalsstaðir in 1986 and has since exhibited widely, both in Iceland and abroad, including in Europe, the United States and Asia. Guðrún has worked as an artist for over four decades and also as a curator, editor and lecturer. She lives and works in Reykjavík and at Hlöðuberg on Skarðsströnd. The exhibition Traces springs from the book Bláleiðir, which Guðrún wrote together with Oddný Eir Ævarsdóttir and Snæfríð Þorsteinsdóttir, based on the artist's life's work.

Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir: Traces

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.


Eight Exhibitions
Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, Ásmundarsafn

Exhibitions

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Katrín Elvarsdóttir: A Botanical Future

Katrín Elvarsdóttir: A Botanical Future

s. ap architects: Lavaforming

s. ap architects: Lavaforming

D54 Hugo Llanes: Bonita

D54 Hugo Llanes: Bonita

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir: Traces

Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir: Traces

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Wonderland: Remnants

Wonderland: Remnants

Events

Locations

Ásmundarsafn

Hafnarhús

Kjarvalsstaðir

Eight Exhi­bitions Hafn­ar­hús, Kjar­vals­staðir, Ásmund­arsafn

Exhibitions

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Katrín Elvarsdóttir: A Botanical Future

Katrín Elvarsdóttir: A Botanical Future

s. ap architects: Lavaforming

s. ap architects: Lavaforming

D54 Hugo Llanes: Bonita

D54 Hugo Llanes: Bonita

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir: Traces

Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir: Traces

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Wonderland: Remnants

Wonderland: Remnants

Events

Locations

Ásmundarsafn

Hafnarhús

Kjarvalsstaðir

Eight Exhibitions
Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, Ásmundarsafn