Starfsfólk safnsins leiðir gesti um valin verk og opnar nýjar leiðir inn í listina á skýran og aðgengilegan hátt.  

Nú standa yfir tvær áhugaverðar sýningar á Kjarvalsstöðum: Smáborg, háborg – Reykjavík í mynd í Vestursal og Kjarval og 20. öldin: Þegar nútíminn lagði að í Austursal.  

Í leiðsögninni fá gestir tækifæri til að staldra við, skoða nánar og dýpka skilning sinn á völdum verkum — stutt, skýrt og hnitmiðað.

Museum staff lead visitors through selected works, opening up new perspectives on the art in a clear and accessible way.

Two exciting exhibitions are on view at Kjarvalsstaðir: Big little City – Reykjavík in View in the West Gallery, and Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored in the East Gallery.  

During the tours, visitors have the opportunity to pause, look closer, and gain deeper insight into selected works — brief, focused, and enriching.

Daily short guided tours offer a fresh and engaging way to experience the exhibitions at Reykjavík Art Museum.

Mini Tour on Exhibitions | Kjarvalsstaðir

Daglegar stuttar leiðsagnir bjóða upp á ferska og lifandi nálgun að sýningum Listasafns Reykjavíkur.

Örleiðsögn um sýningar | Kjarvalsstaðir

Fræðsla

Leiðsögn

Starfsfólk safnsins leiðir gesti um valin verk og opnar nýjar leiðir inn í listina á skýran og aðgengilegan hátt.  

Nú standa yfir 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.

Museum staff lead visitors through selected works, opening up new perspectives on the art in a clear and accessible way.  

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.

Mini Tour on Exhibitions | Hafnarhús

Örleiðsögn um sýningar | Hafnarhús

Á sýningunni eru eingöngu verk úr safneign Bunkier Sztuki, sem geymir eitt öflugasta safn pólskrar samtímalistar í Evrópu. Sýnd verða ljósmyndaverk, málverk, skúlptúrar og innsetningar eftir þrjátíu listamenn frá Póllandi.

Sýningin dregur fram fjölbreytileika og kraft pólskrar samtímalistar og setur hana í alþjóðlegt samhengi. Verkin hafa ferðast frá Kraká til Reykjavíkur, þar sem þau eru sýnd í samfélagi sem að hluta hefur mótast af pólskri nærveru. 

Með sýningunni gefst einstakt tækifæri til að kynnast fremstu samtímalistamönnum Póllands og styrkja um leið menningarleg tengsl Íslands og Póllands.

Leiðsögnin fer fram á íslensku.

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

The exhibition features works exclusively from the collection of Bunkier Sztuki, home to one of Europe’s leading collections of Polish contemporary art. It includes photography, painting, sculpture, and installations by thirty artists from Poland.

The exhibition highlights the diversity and vitality of Polish contemporary art and places it in an international context. The works have travelled from Kraków to Reykjavík, where they are presented in a society shaped in part by a strong Polish presence.

The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to discover some of Poland’s leading contemporary artists while strengthening cultural ties between Iceland and Poland.

The guided tour will be in icelandic.

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

Curator Aldís Snorradóttir will lead a guided tour of the exhibition: Leaky Bodies, Shared Worlds: Works from the Bunkier Sztuki Collection in Kraków, at Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús on Thursday, 5 November at 20.00.

Curator Talk | Leaky Bodies, Shared Worlds

Aldís Snorradóttir sýningastjóri verður með leiðsögn um sýninguna: Lekir líkamar, sameig­in­legir heimar: Verk úr safni Bunkier Sztuki í Kraká, Hafnarhúsi fimmtudaginn 5. nóvember kl.  20.00.

Leiðsögn sýningarstjóra | Lekir líkamar, sameig­in­legir heimar

Hrafnkell er tíundi listamaðurinn sem valinn er til þátttöku í sýningaröð Listasafns Reykjavíkur á Kjarvalsstöðum, þar sem farið er yfir feril lykilpersóna í íslensku listalífi.  

Sýningin veitir yfirlit yfir rúmlega þrjátíu ára feril listamannsins ásamt því að sýna ný og áður óséð verk.  

Verk Hrafnkels draga gjarnan fram andstæður eins og á milli skipulags og óreiðu, menningar og náttúru. Listamaðurinn beinir sjónum að því hvernig mannleg kerfi takast á við náttúrulegt niðurbrot og dregur fram fegurðina í því sem við lítum oft framhjá, til dæmis rusli, sjúskuðu yfirborði og öðru í hverfulleika daglegs lífs.  

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

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson is the tenth artist selected to participate in the Reykjavík Art Museum's exhibition series at Kjarvalsstaðir, which traces the careers of key figures in Icelandic art.

The exhibition provides an overview of more than three decades of the artist’s career while also presenting new and previously unseen works.

Hrafnkell’s works often explore contrasts between order and disorder, culture and nature. His practice examines how human-made systems contend with natural decay, revealing the beauty in things we often overlook, such as waste, worn surfaces, and other ephemeral aspects of everyday life.

Museum admission applies. Free entry for holders of the Reykjavík Art Museum Annual Pass and Reykjavík Culture Pass, and for visitors under 18 years of age.

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson will lead a guided tour of his exhibition X at Kjarvalsstaðir on Sunday, 8 November at 2:00 PM.

Artist Talk | Hrafnkell Sigurðsson

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson leiðir gesti um verk sín á sýningunni X, Kjarvalsstöðum sunnudaginn 8. nóvember kl. 14.00.

Leiðsögn listamanns | Hrafnkell Sigurðsson

Við opnum RDF 2026 í Listasafni Reykjavíkur með stuttum ávörpum og lyftum glösum fyrir dansinum, listafólkinu og öllu því sem bíður okkar næstu fimm daga.  

Svo dimmum við ljósin.  

Kvöldið heldur áfram í sérútbúnu sýningarrými RDF í Portinu. Þar fáum við að upplifa Black eftir Oulouy. Krump, Coupé-Décalé, Ndomboló og Afrohouse koma saman í sýningu sem hefur farið sigurför um dansheiminn og kemur nú loksins til Reykjavíkur.  

Opnunarmóttakan er ókeypis og öll eru velkomin. Miðar á Black fást á Tix.is.  

Komdu og finndu fiðringinn á RDF 2026!

We open RDF 2026 at the Reykjavík Art Museum with some short speeches and then we’ll raise a glass to dance, to our artists and to everything that awaits us over the next five days.  

Then we dim the lights.  

The night will continue at RDF’s special performance space in Portið, where we get to experience Oulouy’s Black. Krump, Coupé-Décalé, Ndomboló and Afrohouse come together in a show that has taken the dance world by storm and is now finally coming to Reykjavík.  

The opening reception is free and open to all. Tickets for Black can be purchased via Tix.is.  

Come feel the vibes at RDF 2026!

It’s a very special feeling to gather together just before something massive happens. You meet people, make eye-contact, enjoy a drink and feel the excitement in the air. A bit like watching a good horror film with the family.

Reykjavík Dance Festival

Það er alveg sérstök tilfinning þegar fólk safnast saman rétt áður en eitthvað svakalegt gerist. Þú hittir fólk, horfir í augun á einhverjum, færð þér drykk og finnur fiðringinn í loftinu. Svolítið eins og að horfa á góða hryllingsmynd í faðmi fjölskyldunnar.

Reykjavík Dance Festival | Opnunarhóf- finnum fiðringinn saman!

Opnun

Danshöfundurinn og dansarinn Oulouy notast hér við látlausa sviðsmynd sem er þó þrungin táknsæi. Hann skírskotar til nýlegra atburða á borð við #BlackLivesMatter-hreyfinguna og morðið á George Floyd þegar hann endurhugsar hinn svart-afríska líkama í vestrænum heimi.  

„Black“ er dans en einnig sjón- og hljóðræn frásögn sem komið er til skila í gegnum götudanshefðir Afríku og bandaríska arfleifð hennar, svo sem Coupé-Décalé, Ndomboló, Afrohouse og Krump.  

Oulouy fæddist á Fílabeinsströndinni en er búsettur á Spáni. Hann er danshöfundur, dansari og listrænn stjórnandi sem kennir víða um heim. Fyrsta verk hans, „Black“, er hugleiðing um ofbeldi og valdeflingu í tengslum við hinn svarta líkama á okkar tímum.  

Verkið „Afrikan Party“ (2022) er framtíðarkenndur óður til Afríku þar sem alþjóðlegi hópurinn Supa Rich Kids kemur fram með Oulouy. Nýjasta verk hans er „Kong“ (2024). Sviðsverk hans hafa verið sýnd víða um heim, m.a. í Perelman Performing Arts Center í New York, Bluma Appel í Toronto, Fabrik Potsdam, Dansens Hus Oslo, Mercat de les Flors, Teatro Principal de Palma, Journées Théâtrales de Carthage, Suzanne Dellal Centre og Dampfzentrale. „Black“ var valið til sýningaferðalags á Spáni á vegum Danza a Escena 2024 og var Oulouy einn fyrsti danshöfundurinn sem valinn var í slíkt verkefni. Fyrir „Afrikan Party“ hreppti hann Catalan Performing Arts Critics-verðlaunin fyrir bestu danshreyfingar 2023, en verkið er að finna í dansgagnasafni New York Public Library. Oulouy er einnig stofnandi og listrænn stjórnandi hátíðarinnar Oyofe sem helguð er götudansi. Oulouy var valinn inn á Aerowaves 25 með verkið „Black“.

Using a set devoid of artifice and brimming with symbolism, choreographer and performer Oulouy hints at recent history such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the murder of George Floyd to rethink the Black African body in the Western world.  

‘Black’ is a dance, a visual and musical chronicle, narrated through street dance styles of the African continent and its diaspora in the USA, such as Coupé-Décalé, Ndomboló, Afrohouse or Krump.

Born on the Ivory Coast and based in Spain, Oulouy combines his role as choreographer, dancer and artistic director with teaching masterclasses worldwide. His first work 'Black' (2020) is a reflection on violence and the emancipation of black bodies in contemporary societies.   

Accompanied on stage by his international crew of Supa Rich Kids, 'Afrikan Party' (2022) is a futuristic ode to Africa. And his most recent work is 'Kong' (2024). His stage works have been presented internationally in venues such as Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York, Bluma Appel in Toronto, Fabrik Potsdam in Germany, Dansens Hus Oslo, Mercat de les Flors, Teatro Principal de Palma, Journées Théâtrales de Carthage, Suzanne Dellal Centre, Dampfzentrale, among others. 'Black' was selected for the Danza a Escena 2024 catalogue to tour within Spain –Oulouy actually one of the first choreographers to present their work within this network. 'Afrikan Party' received the Best Choreography award  of the Catalan Performing Arts Critics Awards (2023), and this work has also been included in the choreographic archive of the New York Public Library. Oulouy is also the founder and curator of the festival Oyofe dedicated to street dances. Oulouy has been selected as an Aerowaves25 artist this year with his piece ‘Black’.

‘Black’ is a reflection on the violence and emancipation of blackness in today’s world, through a body that challenges and disturbs, a body that is both wounded and celebrated.

Reykjavík Dance Festival | Black – Oulouy

Verkið „Black“ er hugleiðing um ofbeldi og valdeflingu í tengslum við það að vera svartur á okkar tímum. Sú hugleiðing er mótuð af líkama sem ögrar og truflar, er í senn særður og upphafinn.

Sýning

Papa er sýning sem reikar á milli minninga, draumaheims og síbreytilegra sjálfsmynda. Með föðurímyndina að leiðarljósi fara dans og húmor hönd í hönd. Pabbabrandarar, lélegir brandarar eða sorglega lélegir brandarar.  

Halla og Sindri hafa ólíka reynslu af föðurímyndum í lífi sínu: Sindri glímir við „daddy issues“ en Halla er svokölluð „pabbastelpa“. Úr þessu verður samtal þar sem velt er upp hugmyndum um karlmennsku og vald, þrá og umhyggju.
Papa er léttleikandi sýning með hinsegin heilindum sem nær til allra sem eiga í sambandi við föður, hvort sem er nær- eða fjarverandi pabba sem um ræðir.  

Halla & Sindri nálgast sýninguna sem ferðalag þar sem samskiptin við áhorfendur skipta ekki síður máli en útfærslan. Umönnun er hugtak sem oft er litið á sem kvenlegan eiginleika eða er tengt kvenlægum starfsgreinum. Tvíeykið vill því kanna hreyfingar sem tengjast hugmyndinni um umönnun og velta fyrir sér hvernig þær mótast af feðraveldinu.  

Papa leitast við að skapa mjúkt rými í gegnum leikandi samtal sem heldur áfram og teygir sig yfir áhorfendarýmið og skapar svigrúm fyrir ígrundun og samhljóm. Með Papa vill tvíeykið kanna hvernig sjálfsmynd mótast í tengslum við fyrirmyndir og hvernig við getum endurskilgreint hugmyndir um vald og ást í samfélagi samtímans.  

Halla Ólafsdóttir er danshöfundur og dansari sem útskrifaðist úr mastersnámi í kóreógrafíu við SKH (sem áður hét DOCH) og úr dansaranámi við Balettakademien í Stokkhólmi. Samruni há- og lágmenningar er Höllu huglægur í listrænni vinnu og er einkennandi í verkum hennar. Hún notast oft við þekkt minni úr list, dægurmenningu og dansi og rannsakar hvað gerist þegar sett er í nýtt samhengi. Halla hefur sýnt eigin verk víða um Svíþjóð og á alþjóðlegum vettvangi. Meðal verka hennar eru Romeo & Julia-lotan (2018–2024), unnin með Íslenska dansflokknum, Ballet Basel og Gertnärplatsteater, Sylph(2023) með Cullberg, Beauty & The Beast(2011–2025), Bitchcraft(2017–2025) og The Knife(2013-2014).

Papa is a duet that drifts through memories, fantasies and shifting identities. Across a spectrum of father figures, a collage of scenes unfolds as dance and jokes collide. Dad jokes, bad jokes, or simply sad jokes.  

Halla and Sindri have very different relationships with the father figures in their lives: Sindri with daddy issues; Halla being the so-called daddy’s girl. Through storytelling and conversation, they share their personal mythologies, tracing the outlines of masculinity, power, desire and care.  
Papa is a lighthearted performance with a queer integrity that reaches out to anyone who has a relationship to a present or absent father.   

Ólafsdóttir/Runudde approach the performance as an exploratory trip, where the encounter with the audience is just as important as the artistic expression. Caretaking is a concept often linked to female gendered professions" or considered being a feminine trait. The duo wants to explore shared bodily practices based on the idea of caretaking, specifically exploring what patriarchal nurturing entails or could become.   

Papa seeks to create a soft space through an ongoing playful conversation that spills into the audience space, creating room for reflection and resonance. Through Papa, the duo wants to experiment with how identity is shaped in relation to role models and how we might redefine ideas of power and love in today’s society.  

Halla Ólafsdóttir is an Icelandic choreographer and dancer based in Stockholm with a master in choreography from Uniarts. Working collectively and from a feminist perspective, her practice often draws on art and popular culture, where she explores how materials change in new contexts. Halla has collaborated with international companies, as well as toured her own works in Sweden and globally. Her work includes amongst others: the Romeo & Ju­lia cy­cle (2018-2024) with Iceland Dance Company, Ballet Basel and Gertnärplatsteater. Sylph (2023) with Cullberg. Beauty & The Beast collaboration (2011-2025). Bitchcraft (2017- 2025) and The Knife (2013-2014).

Sindri Runudde, Swedish dancer and choreographer, whose multisensory practice approaches the body as a living archive. Moving between sound, visual art, and performance, they explore perception through musical and auditory methods. Together, they have collaborated internationally and toured their own works in Sweden and abroad.

Under a gigantic cloud hovering above the stage, Halla and Sindri have a never ending conversation on the topic of fathers to the music of Planningtorock. The conversation spills into the audience, creating a soft world of imaginary dads.

Reykjavík Dance Festival | Papa – Halla Ólafsdóttir and Sindri Runudde

Halla og Sindri sitja saman undir skýi sem svífur yfir sviðinu og eiga endalaust samtal um feður við tólnlist samda af Planningtorock. Samtalið teygir sig út yfir salinn og skapar mjúkan heim ímyndaðra pabba.

Reykjavík Dance Festival | Papa – Halla Ólafsdóttir og Sindri Runudde

Með hreyfingu tekur líkaminn hægt og rólega á sig ný form; þannig skapast rými fyrir annars konar myndir, hrynjanda og orku. Líkami, hljóð og rými renna saman í einn heim þar sem flakkað er á milli þess áþreifanlega og þess draumkennda, á milli raunveruleika og ímyndunar. Áhorfendum býðst að hugleiða sín eigin tengsl við hafið, við náttúruna og hið óþekkta.  

Titillinn hryggr hefur tvíræða merkingu. Orðið getur skírskotað til Mið-Atlantshafshryggjarins, sem úr geimnum líkist gríðarstórri hryggjarsúlu sem þræðir sig gegnum hafið, en einnig til sorgarinnar sem vaknar við náttúrueyðingu okkar tíma.
Verkið er samið af danshöfundinum Báru Sigfúsdóttur í samstarfi við tónskáldið Eivind Lønning og listakonuna Andreu Kränzlin sem býr og starfar í Antwerp.  

Bára Sigfúsdóttir er þekkt fyrir líkamlega nákvæm og djúpstæð verk, þrungin ljóðrænu næmi. Verk hennar hafa verið sýnd á ýmsum sýningarstöðum og hátíðum víða um heim, svo sem á Feneyjatvíæringnum, Listahátíð í Reykjavík, Ice Hot Nordic Dance Platform, Tanzmesse, Performatik og Julidans, svo fátt eitt sé nefnt.

Through movement, the body slowly transforms, opening space for changing images, rhythms, and energies. Body, sound and space merge into a universe that moves between the tangible and the dreamlike, between reality and imagination. Audiences are invited to reflect on their own connection to the sea, to nature, and to the unknown.   

The title hryggr derives from Old Norse and carries a double meaning: as a noun it means “spine”, and as an adjective it means “sad”. The word may refer to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which from space resembles a giant spine running through the ocean, but also to the grief associated with the environmental destruction of our time. 
hryggr is created by Icelandic choreographer Bára Sigfúsdóttir in collaboration with composer Eivind Lønning and Antwerp-based artist Andrea Kränzlin.  

Bára Sigfúsdóttir is an internationally recognized Icelandic artist whose work is known for its physical precision, conceptual depth, and strong poetic sensibility. Bára’s performances have been presented at national and international venues and festivals, including Venice Biennale, Reykjavik Arts Festival, Ice Hot Nordic Dance Platform, Tanzmesse, Performatik and Julidans, among others.

The performance hryggr is a poetic and sensorial encounter between the body and the ocean, where the boundaries between human, nature and fantasy gradually dissolve.

Reykjavík Dance Festival | hryggr – Bára Sigfúsdóttir

hryggr er ljóðrænt verk sem höfðar til allra skynfæra; þar sem líkami mætir hafi og mörk manneskjunnar, náttúrunnar og fantasíunnar leysast smám saman upp.

Verkefnið, sem nýtur stuðnings Erasmus+-áætlunarinnar, er skipað ungu fólki á aldrinum 16–20 ára. Markmið þess er að efla tilfinningalæsi, skapandi sjálfstæði og þátttöku í samfélaginu með listrænni tjáningu og sviðslistum.  

Í stað þess að byggja á hefðbundnum menntunarformum eru listrænar rannsóknir og tilraunir nýttar til að kanna tilfinningar sem mikilvæga þekkingu – bæði fyrir einstaklinginn og samfélagið. Ferlið stendur yfir í meira en ár og fer fram í þremur Evrópulöndum, en því lýkur með alþjóðlegum viðburði á Reykjavík Dance Festival á Íslandi í nóvember.

Funded by the Erasmus+ program, the project is designed for youth aged 16–20 and aims to foster emotional literacy, creative autonomy, and civic engagement through artistic and performance-based expression.  

Rather than utilizing traditional educational structures, the project leverages artistic research and experimentation to explore emotions as crucial forms of personal and social knowledge. Spanning over a year across three European countries, the process culminates in a  transnational gathering during Reykjavík Dance Festival in Iceland in November.

School of Emotions is an international collaborative project between Reykjavík Dance Festival, Rosendal Teater (NO), and Fondazione Piemonte dal Vivo / Lavanderia a Vapore (IT).

Reykjavík Dance Festival | School of Emotions

Tilfinningaskólinn er alþjóðlegt samstarfsverkefni Reykjavík Dance Festival, Rosendal Teater (NO) og Fondazione Piemonte dal Vivo / Lavanderia a Vapore (ÍT).

Reykjavík Dance Festival | Tilfinningaskólinn

Sýningin Ómur á sér rætur í Selárdal þar sem listafólk sem vinnur að verkum sínum í Listvinnzlunni skapaði verk í samtali við listheim Samúels Jónssonar.  

Listvinnzlan er listamiðstöð og faglegur vettvangur í miðborg Reykjavíkur þar sem fatlað listafólk skapar og þróar list sína.  

Þessi sýningin var á dagskrá Listahátíðar í Reykjavík sumarið 2026. Nú hefur hún ferðast í Ásmundarsafn og mætir þar verkum Ásmundar Sveinssonar í nýju samhengi, auk þess sem ný verk og nýir sýnendur hafa bæst í hópinn.   

Í Selárdal myndaðist sterkur ómur milli verka listafólksins og sköpunar Samúels, sem var sjálfmenntaður og vann utan meginstrauma listalífsins eftir eigin sýn. Sú saga á enn erindi í dag. Fatlað listafólk býr yfir sterkum og persónulegum listrænum röddum en mætir enn hindrunum innan listasenunnar. Í Ásmundarsafni heldur samtalið áfram, nú í nánd við verk Ásmundar sem skapaði sér einnig einstakan heim þar sem list, arkitektúr og umhverfi mætast.  

Sýningastjóri  
Margrét M. Norðdahl

Echo traces its roots to Selárdalur, where artists working at Listvinnzlan created works in dialogue with the artistic world of Samúel Jónsson.  

Listvinnzlan is an arts center and professional creative workspace in downtown Reykjavík, where disabled artists create and develop their artistic practice.  

The exhibition was part of the Reykjavík Arts Festival programme in the summer of 2026. It has now travelled to Ásmundarsafn, where it enters into a new dialogue with the works of artist Ásmundur Sveinsson. New artworks and additional artists have also joined the exhibition.  

In Selárdalur, a powerful resonance emerged between the artists’ works and Samúel’s creations. Self-taught and working outside the mainstream art world, Samúel followed his own singular vision. His story remains deeply relevant today. Disabled artists possess distinctive and compelling artistic voices, yet they continue to face barriers within the art scene. At Ásmundarsafn, the conversation continues, now in close proximity to the works of Ásmundur, who likewise created a unique world where art, architecture and environment converge.  

Curator 
Margrét M. Norðdahl

Be very welcome to the opening of the exhibition at Reykjavík Art Museum – Ásmundarsafn, Saturday 14 November at 15h00

Opening | Listvinnzlan: Echo

Verið velkomin á opnun sýningarinnar í Listasafni Reykjavíkur – Ásmundarsafni, laugardag 14. nóvember kl. 15.00

Opnun | Listvinnzlan: Ómur

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson, Án titils, ljósmynd, 2001

Kjarvalsstaðir

Each artist is chosen for their unique contribution and specialization in terms of media, methods, and subject matter. This positioning is reflected in the presentation of key works from different periods in the West Gallery, accompanied by a catalogue that places the artist’s career in the context of art history and the present day.


Hrafnkell Sigurðsson is the tenth artist selected for the Reykjavík Art Museum’s exhibition series at Kjarvalsstaðir, which highlights the careers of key figures in Icelandic art. 

Hrafnkell’s works often highlight contrasts – between order and chaos, culture and nature. He draws attention to how human systems confront natural decay, revealing beauty in what is often overlooked: rubbish, worn surfaces, and the transience of everyday life. Though his works frequently emerge from inorganic environments, he manages to evoke a deep connection to the human body. His art is at once poetic and conceptual, yet also charged with a mysterious and almost magical energy.


The exhibition presents an overview of more than three decades of the artist’s practice, while also featuring new and previously unseen works. 

The exhibition title points to a crossroads in the artist’s practice. X signifies a point of orientation, an intersection, and the unknown.

Born in Reykjavík in 1963, Hrafnkell Sigurðsson studied at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts before continuing at the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. In 2002 he received an MFA from Goldsmiths, University of London. Photography has been his primary medium since 1990, although his practice also encompasses video, sculpture, and installation. As a young artist, he was a member of the multidisciplinary art collective Oxsmá, known for its performances and short films.

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson: X

Marcin Maciejowski, The Doctor Said…, 2001, oil / canvas, 97 × 124 cm / Lekarz powiedział…, 2001, olej / płótno, 97 × 124 cm

The exhibition will include photographs, paintings, sculptures, and installations by thirty artists from Poland.

The exhibition will feature exclusively works from the collection of Bunkier Sztuki, which houses one of the strongest collections of Polish contemporary art in Europe. 

The body is at the forefront of the exhibition, which brings together works created predominantly in the 21st century, a period marked by rapid social change, technological advancement, and evolving ideas about the body, identity, and existence. The exhibition directs attention to the body as a living process rather than a fixed entity. It is shaped by environment, technology, social norms, and histories, and is always in relation to other bodies, other lives, and other worlds.
The exhibition highlights the diversity and vitality of Polish contemporary art and places it within an international context. 

The works have traveled from Kraków to Reykjavík, where they are presented within a community that has been partly shaped by Polish presence. Poles are the largest group of immigrants in Iceland and have enriched Icelandic culture and everyday life. It is therefore meaningful to encounter these works, rooted in Polish artistic and cultural life, here in Reykjavík. The exhibition thus creates a space for encounter between Polish culture and the Icelandic audience.

Artists featured in the exhibition:  
Marta Antoniak  
Bogusław Bachorczyk  
Barbara Bańda  
Bogna Burska  
Michał Chudzicki  
Oskar Dawicki  
Iwona Demko  
Katarzyna Górna  
Bartosz Kokosiński  
Karolina Kowalska  
Lidia Krawczyk  
Wojciech Kubiak  
Agata Kus  
Marcin Maciejowski  
Cecylia Malik  
Krzysztof Marchlak  
Małgorzata Markiewicz  
Joanna Pawlik  
Maria Pinińska-bereś  
Karol Radziszewski  
Józef Robakowski  
Jadwiga Sawicka  
Janek Simon  
Si On  
Justyna Smoleń  
Łukasz Stokłosa  
Jaśmina Wójcik  
Michał Zawada  
Jakub Julian Ziółkowski  
Alicja Żebrowska  


Leaky Bodies, Shared Worlds:  Works from the Bunkier Sztuki Collection in Krakow.

Erró

Myndin Fuglavíðátta eftir Erró sýnir teikningu af mörgum fuglum

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

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

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.

Welcome to
Reykjavík Art Museum

Exhibitions

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson: X

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson: X

Leaky Bodies, Shared Worlds: Works from the Bunkier Sztuki Collection in Krakow.

Leaky Bodies, Shared Worlds: Works from the Bunkier Sztuki Collection in Krakow.

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Events

Locations

Ásmundarsafn

Hafnarhús

Kjarvalsstaðir

Welcome to Reykjavík Art Museum

Exhibitions

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson: X

Hrafnkell Sigurðsson: X

Leaky Bodies, Shared Worlds: Works from the Bunkier Sztuki Collection in Krakow.

Leaky Bodies, Shared Worlds: Works from the Bunkier Sztuki Collection in Krakow.

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Erró: Remix - including a selection of Scapes

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Ásmundur Sveinsson: Wonderland

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Kjarval and the 20th Century: When Modernity Anchored

Events

Locations

Ásmundarsafn

Hafnarhús

Kjarvalsstaðir

Welcome to
Reykjavík Art Museum