LP Archaeology: Iceland’s Record Sleeve History On Display At Hönnunarsafn

Hönnunarsafn—The Museum of Icelandic Design—is a tucked away place, in the sprawling Reykjavík suburb of Garðabær. Boxed in by a surrounding retail park, it isn’t easy to stumble across, but inside its pristine galleries lies an intriguing exhibition of Icelandic album art, spanning from 1957 until the present day.

Sigríður Sigurjónsdóttir is the director of the museum. She points out the flow of formats, from the vinyl-only days, to the CD era, to the current vinyl and cassette comeback, and the infamous GKR cereal-box/memory stick edition of his album.

“Even though streaming is so popular now, artists still need to have something physical,” says Sigríður. “I totally understand it, from a designer’s point of view—even though we’re all trying to be mindful about producing new objects.”

There are some big name artists mixed in with the musicians. Sigríður points out works designed by several Venice Biennale participants, including Egill Sæbjörnsson and Ragnar Kjartansson. “It’s very interesting that these artists are in this show,” she says. “People in Iceland tend to often work with their friends, so we end up with album covers like these, by our top artists.”

The exhibition continues until February 4th. Get more information at the Hönnunarsafn website.