Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2022, Blaðsíða 39

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Best Art Hall
Ásmundarsalur
Freyjugata 41, 101 Reykjavík
Ásmundarsalur is everything you want
all under one roof: theatre, art gallery,
coffee house, and even a marketplace
for new art made by young and inter-
esting artists in Iceland. It’s lively, offers
fantastic art and atmosphere, and the
house itself is especially beautiful and
worth visiting. Plus it features a garden
of—and we put this lovingly—unhinged
sculptures by Ásmundar himself.
Runners-Up
Nordic House
Sæmundargata 11, 101 Reykjavík
Nordic House is a wonderful space,
filled with top-notch culture every time.
Of course, the focus is particularly on
culture from the Nordic nations, but
despite this specific remit all of their
events and exhibitions manage to feel
impressively diverse and inclusive. In
addition, the building itself is beautiful
and is located not far from downtown
Reykjavík in a wonderful nature area,
full of bird and plant life.
Post-Húsið Skerjafirði
Skeljanesi 21, 101 Reykjavík
If you’re young, wild, and tired of Hip-
Hop, this is the place for you. Póst-Drei-
fing is a grassroots ensemble that has
been the source of Iceland's best indie
rock bands of the past five years, with
Post-Húsið being their home venue.
It’s bustling with indie kids filled with
unrealistic expectations of the world,
and absolute power to them.
Previous Winners
2021: Ásmundarsalur
Dream of the ocean
Laugavegur 159, 105 Reykjavík
If in Hlemmur waiting for a
bus, you should be able to spot a
peaceful vision of blue and green
peeking through the grey just
up the road. This stretch of Lau-
gavegur street has considerably
more noise pollution. Cars con-
sistently zoom past, incessant
clanging, blaring, and crashing
from nearby construction in-
evitably manage to drown out
your thoughts and irritate you.
The piece’s mood is a complete
contrast to its surroundings,
perhaps intentionally. Cool and
calming hues invite you to the
ghostly peace to be found be-
neath the waves. Muffled ring-
ing and nothingness. The artist,
Raffaella Brizuela Sigurðardóttir,
was inspired by an old Persian
story from the Bahá’í Faith as
well as Icelandic culture and its
relationship to the sea. She ca-
pably leads you on a journey of
visual escape we highly recom-
mend. AP
Charming chaos
Týsgata 8, 101 Reykjavík
At first glance, Arnar Ásgeirs-
son’s work comes off as eerie
and dark. From a distance, the
stark contrasts catch your eye,
and as you step closer, so much
more is revealed. Incredibly min-
ute details, layers of comedy and
humour, all wonderfully nonsen-
sical. Arnar embraces chaos and
portrays it in a way that draws
the viewer in, and makes us feel
as comfortable as he is with it.
The limited use of colour helps
guide our focus to the subjects
portrayed. The piece is located on
a wall facing a lovely little town
square, with plenty of seating ar-
eas for you to settle in and enjoy
this work of art, which has more
than enough to keep you enter-
tained for hours. AP
Birds, birds, birds
Óðinsgata 11, 101 Reykjavík
Birdwatching in the centre of
the city might be tricky, but we
suggest you come and see the
colourful piece on Óðinsgata
11 to prove yourself wrong. The
artists—Stefán Óli and Arnór
Kári—have become active mem-
bers of the Reykjavik street art
scene in recent years. Many of
their works bring nature closer to
the city, and this one is no excep-
tion. Stefán Óli and Arnór Kári
are also the artists behind the
giant bird mural in Sundahöfn.
Another beautiful piece of street
art, but quite a walk from the
centre—beware! IZ
Quirky and fun
Bjargarstígur 15, 101 Reykjavík
This vibrant and graphic piece
is the result of a collaboration
between DABSMYLA—Austra-
lian husband and wife visual art
duo, and established graffiti art-
ist, Kems. It has been around for
ages (since 2016, to be precise),
but it continues to brighten up
an otherwise slightly grey city on
both sunny and gloomy days. It
is just a stone’s throw away from
the previous bird piece. There’s
a bench nearby, so you can sit
down, enjoy a takeaway coffee or
whatnot, and contemplate art.
Just like you would do in a mu-
seum! IZ
GUIDE
Reykjavík Street
Art Walk Without
A Guide
Must-see street art, free and walking distance
(for the most part)
Words: Alice Poggio & Iryna Zubenko Photos: Alice Poggio
Street art in Reykjavík has a lot to offer. From Skólavörðustígur, also
known as the Rainbow Street, to numerous murals and graffiti along
the shopping street Laugavegur and beyond. Unremarkable buildings,
hidden alleyways, and even industrial infrastructure burst with co-
lour here. On one of the (rare) sunny days, we took a stroll to find our
favourite street art pieces in the capital.
Check out this map for
more street art ideas
in the capital area:
bit.ly/wall-art-reykjavik