So, you’ve shopped in the shops, drank the drinks, and eaten all the foods. And whilst those things are all super fun, culture and the outdoors are the missing pieces of the puzzle for a perfect trip. Whether it’s a gleaming museum or a grimy artist-run gallery, a springtime hike or a trip to try and glimpse the aurora, here’s where to do it.
Best Gallery
i8
Tryggvagata 16
The internationally lauded i8 gallery was instrumental in putting Icelandic art on the map, and remains a mainstay in keeping it there. Although it’s a commercial gallery, the works on show are rarely conservative—expect to see conceptual cutting-edge museum-sized displays, rather than conservative and conventionally appealing wall-based work. The gallery is home to many of Iceland’s finest contemporary artists and also brings international names to Reykjavík. Best of all, there’s a sharp wit and a sense of fun running through the gallery’s roster, in sharp contrast to the often academic or po-faced offerings of the contemporary art scene.
Runner-Up:
Kling & Bang
Grandagarður 20
After finding its new home in the well-received Marshall House art museum complex, the Kling & Bang collective have done their very best to continually make people smile with wonder at their creative, ambitious, vibrant and varied solo exhibitions and groups shows. Keep it up!
Runner-Up:
Newcomer: Ásmundarsalur
Freyjugata 41
After two years of extensive renovations, Ásmundarsalur has finally reopened and charms the panel with its “super bright and open space with huge windows” and its well-executed new exhibition, “LÍFfærin,” where the spectator can admire organs made of glass. Ásmundarsalur will soon commence its event schedule, and the panel cannot wait!
Previous Winners
2015-18: i8
2014: Kling og Bang
2011-13: National Gallery
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