Atlantica - 01.06.2001, Síða 68

i-site ART GALLERIES❍
66 A T L A N T I C A
FACING NATURE
Summer is here and the National
Gallery of Iceland has scheduled excit-
ing exhibitions for the season, especial-
ly ‘Facing Nature’ (through 2
September), an exhibit of 20th-century
Icelandic art that showcases nature.
This exhibition features works from the
National Gallery’s collection, and high-
lights some of the nation’s best known
artists, including Jóhannes Kjarval and
Kristján Davídsson.
National Gallery of Iceland,
Fríkirkjuvegur 7, 101 Reykjavík, tel.
(+354) 515-9600. Open daily from 11
a.m. - 5 p.m., closed Mondays.
Admittance free on Wednesdays. For
more information log on to www.lis-
tasafn.is
ICELANDIC FOLK TALES
Ásgrímur Jónsson (1876 - 1958) was the
first Icelandic artist to draw and paint
scenes from Icelandic folk tales. In
these compositions, the artist usually
places man against superior forces,
while contrasting innocence and beauty
with ugliness and deception. The muse-
um bearing the artist’s name – overseen
by the National Gallery of Iceland – is
open in his former studio, and the lay-
out gives visitors an idea of how
Jónsson once lived.
The Ásgrímur Jónsson Gallery,
Bergstadastræti 74, 101 Reykjavík, tel.
(+354) 515-9625. Open daily 1.30 p.m. -
4 p.m., closed Mondays. Admittance
free on Wednesdays. For more informa-
tion log on to www.listasafn.is
ART ON THE EDGE
The Living Art Museum is an artist-run
and -owned gallery located in down-
town Reykjavík. To participate, creative
types need apply. But don’t let that
scare you away. “I don’t think we’ve
turned anyone away,” says Ingi, an
artist whose mediums are “installations
and technical stuff”.
Since the museum is run by artists,
schedules are not exactly fixed. That’s
okay, a smidgen of chaos is a means
towards inspiration. As one of their
board members says, “We normally
don’t commission a piece. Artists just
come in and do what they want.”
Surprisingly, it all comes together. So
make sure to put this three-storey, stu-
dioesque gallery on your list.
The Living Art Museum, Vatnsstígur 3b,
101 Reykjavík, tel. (+354) 551-4350, e-
mail: nylo@nylo.is. For more informa-
tion log on to www.nylo.is
A MAN NAMED ERRÓ
These are exciting times for the
Reykjavík Art Museum. Last April, the
museum opened a new exhibition hall
at the Harbour House, which has added
much needed space to the crowded
Reykjavík art scene. And the museum
welcomes the addition, as it now has
over 3,000 pieces from Erró’s famed
collection. Speaking of Erró, a spectacu-
lar Erró retrospective (runs through 6
January, 2002) at the Harbour House is
currently attracting crowds – the many
fans of the painter responsible for all
those dandy cartoons.
For more information on the Reykjavík
Art Museum and the exhibitions and
galleries it oversees, call (+354) 552-
6131 or e-mail questions to
listasafn@reykjavik.is
Ah, summer. You can almost smell the freshly cut grass and the scent of barbecue swirling in the mild
Icelandic breeze – perfect conditions for a Reykjavík art crawl.
With so many museums crowding the downtown area, some more peculiar than others, gallery hopping is
a rather enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, day or week, depending upon your artistic appetite.
Let’s be honest here. This is Iceland, and the summer often brings a fair amount of grey drizzle to the capi-
tal area, leaving visitors mildewed and soggy. Don’t disappear. Don’t ask for a travel refund. Find yourself a
gallery opening, nurse a glass of wine (or two) and soak up the Reykjavík art scene. After all, what better
way is there to explore the nation’s psyche? EW
Gallery Fever
PHOTOS BRIAN SWEENEY
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