Icelandic Art Prize 2026 Winners Announced

The Icelandic Art Prize celebrated its ninth edition at Austurbæjarbíó yesterday, March 11, recognising outstanding contributions to the Icelandic art scene.

Finnbogi Pétursson was named Artist of the Year for his exhibition Quake at the LÁ Art Museum in Hveragerði. The award was presented by Logi Einarsson, Minister of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education. The prize includes 1.5 million ISK.

Other nominees in the category were Claudia Hausfeld, Kristín Gunnlaugsdóttir and Sigurður Ámundason.

Finnbogi’s win was explained by the Icelandic Art Center: “He has distinguished himself through technically sophisticated installations that enthral the senses with their magnificent simplicity. In recent years, Finnbogi has opened himself emotionally in his work, as he has done in Quake,” press release continues, “It is the jury’s belief that Quake captures the recurring themes found in Finnbogi’s practice as a whole, one that has inspired other artists and captivated scholars and audiences alike.”

In addition to the main award, Hildur Elísa Jónsdóttir received the Motivational Award for her performance Tacet: Extrinsic at the biennial festival Sequences XII. Other nominees in this category included Hrafnkell Tumi Georgsson and Julie Sjöfn Gasiglia.

Veteran artist Rúrí received the Honorary Award for her long-standing contribution to Icelandic visual art. “Rúrí has stood guard for over half a century, never letting viewers fall asleep on her watch. In surveying Rúrí’s vast career and scrutinising both major and minor themes in her practice, what becomes clear is a remarkable sense of continuity: her older works continue to come alive — and to lead independent lives — regardless of the passage of time,” reads the press release of the Icelandic Art Center. Last year, the Grapevine interviewed Rúrí about her exhibition Tíma Mát at the town’s newly opened feminist gallery SIND. Read the interview here.

The exhibition Steina: Playback, that was on display simultaneously at the National Gallery of Iceland and the Reykjavík Art Museum, was named Retrospective of the Year. The exhibition was curated by Natalie Bell of the MIT List Visual Arts Center in collaboration with Helga Christoffersen (Buffalo AKG Art Museum), Markús Þór Andrésson (Reykjavík Art Museum) and Pari Stave (National Gallery of Iceland). The Reykjavík Grapevine has covered the exhibition in detail and interviewed Steina.

Group Exhibition of the Year went to Hamraborg Festival, curated by Agnes Ársælsdóttir, Jo Pawlowska and Pétur Eggertsson.

The award for Publication on Contemporary Art went to Mynd & hand: Skólasaga 1939-1999 (The Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts, 1939-1999) by Arndís S. Árnadóttir and Davíð Ólafsson.

The Icelandic Art Prize is organised by the Icelandic Visual Arts Council.

See photos from the event below:

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