Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2018, Page 48

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2018
48
So, you’ve shopped in the shops, drank the drinks, and eaten all the
food you can manage. And whilst those things are all super fun,
culture is the missing piece of the puzzle for a perfect trip to Ice-
land. Whether it a gleaming museum or a grimy artist-run gallery, a
springtime hike or a trip to try and glimpse the aurora
Best Pool
Sundhöllin
Barónsstígur 45a
After being out of the running last year due to lengthy renovations,
101’s iconic swimming palace Sundhöllin is back, and better than
ever. There’s a new outdoor pool, a new reception area, refreshed
changing facilities, and a corridor-like hot pot with lots of space for
chilling and chatting. “I used to trek from 101 to Vesturbæjarlaug, but
the renovations put Sundhöllin on top,” said the panel. “The chang-
ing rooms are beautiful—like Wes Anderson meets M. C. Escher. And
it’s downtown, so when you come out of the pool with wet hair, there
are plenty of bars and cafés around.”
Runners Up
Vesturbæjarlaug
Hofsvallagata 107
West-side bathing haven Vesturbæjar-
laug has a large communal outdoor hot
pot, indoor and outdoor pools, and a
great steam room. “It’s still dominated
by locals rather than tourists,” said the
panel.” It’s also good in all seasons: “It
has a sunlamp with a chair, so you can
catch some rays in winter, and in sum-
mer you can sunbathe in the hot pots.”
Árbæjarlaug
Fylkisvegur 9
Suburban swimming pool Árbæjarlaug
breaks into the top three this year
because of the views, and people-watch-
ing potential. “It looks right over the
city,” said the panel. “You enter the water
indoors, then swim outside—perfect
for the winter. All the people who go
there are suburbanites rather than 101
barflies.”
Previous winners
2017: Lágafellslaug
2016: Neslaug
2014-15: Vesturbæjarlaug
2012-13: Laugardalslaug
Best Gallery
i8
Tryggvagata 16
Despite increasing competition from
Reykjavík’s lively and thriving gallery
scene, i8 wins best art gallery in 2018
for the fifth time. The reasoning is sim-
ple: they show amazing art, all the time.
Their roster includes many of Iceland’s
foremost contemporary artists, such as
Ragnar Kjartansson and Ólafur Elíasson,
recent Venice Biennale participant Egill
Sæbjörnsson, and international names
like Roni Horn. “i8’s top quality stable of
artists often display a playful sense of
humour in their work,” said the panel.
“Contemporary art takes itself very
seriously sometimes, but i8 doesn’t—in
the best possible way.”
Runners Up
Kling og Bang
Grandagarður 20
After a period of nomadism, the enfant
terrible of Iceland’s gallery scene
is back in force after finding a new
home in the glorious Marshall House
art museum development. This gallery
identifies more as an art collective,
creating ambitious large-scale projects
and vibrant group shows. Welcome
back, Kling og Bang!
Berg Contemporary
Klapparstígur 16
Located in a building that was formerly
a glass factory, Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir’s
BERG Contemporary has quickly estab-
lished a kick-ass roster of Icelandic
and international artists, and an ev-
er-growing reputation to match. “It’s a
beautiful space, and I’m always curious
to see what they’re showing,” said one
panellist.
Previous winners
2015-17: i8
2014: Kling og Bang
2011-13: National Museum
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2018
Activities
Get off the internet already!
Best Art Museum
The Marshall
House
Grandagarður 20
Newcomer: Although it’s officially a
newcomer, it seems obvious that this
pristine new art museum is here to
stay. Housing three galleries—NÝLÓ,
Kling og Bang, and an Ólafur Elíasson
workshop—it was an instant hit with
the local art crowd. “It’s such an
amazing space,” said the panel. “There’s
so much natural light, and the design
is beautiful.” The variety of work on
show was another reason for the win.
“An art museum doesn’t have to be one
big institution,” said the panel. “It’s a
collection of three independent art or-
ganisations working together to make
something exciting happen.”
Runners Up
Reykjavík Art Museum
Various locations
This might be cheating a bit, but
Reykjavík Art Museum provides three
winners in one. Whether it’s classic
Icelandic sculpture at the beautiful
Ásmundursafn, Kjarval paintings at
the airy Kjarvalstaðir, or the various
contemporary displays at downtown
Hafnarhúsið, Reykjavík Art Museum has
it all.
Einar Jónsson Museum
Eiríksgata 3
Located right next to Hallgrímskirkja,
this beautiful building was the house
and studio of Icelandic sculptor Einar
Jónsson during his lifetime and is now
a permanent exhibition of his work.
Large-scale sculptures musing on the
big subjects of birth, life, death, society
and religion dot the garden, and Einar’s
apartment is preserved inside.
Previous winners
2016: Hafnarhúsið
2012-15: Reykjavík Art Museum