Atlantica - 01.02.2002, Blaðsíða 24

REYKJAVÍK
22 A T L A N T I C A
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Spirits are high on an Icelandic weekend.)
OK, you were brave enough to
venture to Reykjavík in the
middle of winter. But what do
you do if there’s a raging bliz-
zard outside and it’s too early
to go clubbing? Reykjavík is
big on art, and half of the peo-
ple you bump into are bound
to be doing something cre-
ative or other. There are plen-
ty of art galleries for the
choosing. The National
Gallery houses the nation’s
collection of 19th and 20th
century art including major
works by Jóhannes Kjarval
and Kristján Davídsson, and
also presides over a growing
collection of pieces by inter-
national artists. The Reykjavík
Art Museum in the Harbour
House is a beautifully
designed backdrop to modern
art. Currently, an Erró retro-
spective (running through 6
January, 2002) is attracting a
wide range of fans of the
Paris-based artist who depicts
the modern world as present-
ed to us through the lens of
the media. There's plenty
more than just Erró, including
a retrospective of Bernd
Koberling's works which will
run from 12 January to 3
March. Kjarvalsstadir, a
gallery named after Iceland’s
most famous painter, offer a
chance to see a good number
of the works of Jóhannes
Kjarval. Two interesting shows
are planned this winter: one
on Hannes Lárusson,
renowned for his lively hap-
penings, and the other, a his-
torical retrospective of
Icelandic sculpture. Speaking
of sculpture, the Ásmundur
Sveinsson Sculpture Gallery,
with its soft white curves, is
delightful and houses a col-
lection of Sveinsson’s modern
works. For more avant-garde
art, visit Gallerí i8, a tiny, mini-
malist gallery that shows
emerging Icelandic artists and
international ones (currently
photographer Roni Horn), or
The Living Art Museum, which
features young, radical artists.
020-026 ATL601 Reykjavík 14.12.2001 15:34 Page 22