Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2022, Blaðsíða 36

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2022
36
Reykjavík is bustling with activities, from famous attractions to
small hidden gems. And we have busted our balls, pushing our-
selves to our physical limits—have you seen how many mountains
we hiked?—to compile this list of what you need to do to experience
Reykjavík to the fullest (and most authentic). So, here are the win-
ners of our Best of Reykjavík 2022 Activities awards, all of which are
recommended by our panel of locals.
Best Pool
Sky Lagoon
Vesturvör 44, 200 Kópavogur
This pool combines three of our favourite things: hot pools, nature,
booze and great settings. Wait, that’s four things... so scratch out na-
ture. Sky Lagoon is a man-made haven in Kópavogur City, carved out
of the rocks with a view to kill for—and it puts all those natural hot
pools to shame with its seven step Ritual™. Also, kids younger than 12
are not allowed to enter, which is a plus if you’re looking to soak with-
out a soundtrack of children’s voices. And did we mention the bar?
Runner-Up
Vesturbæjarlaug
Hofsvallagata, 107 Reykjavík
Vesturbær is one of Reykjavik’s most
bustling areas, and probably the only
locale where you could bump into Prime
Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, artist Ragnar
Kjartansson, and a member of Sigur Rós
on the same day. The pool is unique in the
sense that it offers up pretty much any-
thing you’d need—an outdoor pool, big
hotpots, a steam room and a particularly
lovely outdoor changing area, which you
should take advantage of in the summer
months.
Newcomer
Dalslaug
Úlfarsbraut 122, 124 Reykjavík
Dalslaug is on the edge of the city of
Reykjavík, and all around there is noth-
ing but wilderness. It’s so wild actually,
that once we saw an owl just flying
around overhead, looking for some
mice to eat. So, it’s a given if you’re a
Harry Potter fan—we’re not actually
sure if Hogwarts had an outdoor public
pool, but if it did, it would be Dalslaug.
Previous Winners
2021: Vesturbæjarlaug
2020:Vesturbæjarlaug
2019: Vesturbæjarlaug
Best Artist-Run Gallery
Gallery Port
Laugavegur 32, 101 Reykjavík
You could perhaps call Gallery Port the
dive bar of the Icelandic art scene—and
we mean that in the coolest, most in-
the-know and loving way. This artist-run
space, located smack dab downtown on
Laugavegur, serves up gritty, unusual and
eclectic art by people who will probably
be famous one day (or already are). Stop
by if you’re looking to enter some David
Lynch-directed dimension. Note: It’s also
one of the few venues where you can buy
the brilliant art you see on the walls.
Runner-Up
Kling & Bang
Grandagarður 20, 101 Reykjavík
The Marshall House serves up a number
of brilliant galleries, but the artist-run
Kling & Bang is a true standout. No
matter what exhibit or installation they
have on the roster, expect something
ambitious and unique. Another amazing
thing about Kling & Bang is that they
play host to not only well-known inter-
national creators, but also to up-and-
coming talents. The space never ceases
to amaze with its provocative, vibrant
style and it is for that reason that it
continues to be a not-to-miss space.
Newcomer
Höfuðstöðin
Rafstöðvarvegur, 110 Reykjavík
Finally something for the influencers.
Höfuðstöðin is the most colourful
art space you can find in Reykjavík
city. Incredible artist (and previous
Grapevine cover star), Shoplifter, has her
amazing hair sculptures on display in
the museum and it’s nothing less than
spectacular. Be prepared to be amazed.

Previous Winners
2021: Gallerý Port
2020: Kling & Bang
2019: Gallerý Port
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2022
Activities
Get off the internet already!
Best Gallery
Joint Winners
i8
Tryggvagata 16, 101 Reykjavík
There is no way around it: i8 is still the
best gallery in Iceland. Over the years,
it’s given us works from internation-
ally lauded art superstars like Ragnar
Kjartansson, Elín Hansdóttir and Ólafur
Elíasson, putting Icelandic art on the
worldwide map and helping it stay
there. Although it’s a commercial gal-
lery, it’s not a stuffy, hoity-toity spot—
expect to see conceptual cutting-edge
museum-sized displays, rather than
conservative and conventionally-ap-
pealing work.
Berg
Contemporary
Klapparstígur 16, 101 Reykjavík
Berg Contemporary has established
itself as the go-to spot for contem-
porary art in Reykjavík. In their large,
beautifully renovated space, lines are
blurred between the conceptual, the
abstract, the art and the functional with
their installations and exhibitions. That
may sound complicated, but what we’re
trying to say is pretty simple: stop by.
Runner-Up
Hverfisgallerí
Hverfisgata 4, 101 Reykjavík
Hverfisgallerí consistently impresses
with a roster of brilliant exhibitions
by young artists like Helena Margrét
Jónsdóttir and Davíð Örn Halldórsson,
among others. This gallery is (and we
cannot emphasise this enough) ambi-
tious. Stop by for the best and brightest
of the scene.
Previous Winners
2021: i8
2020: i8
2019: i8