Grapevine’s Best Of 2017: Best Art Gallery

Everyone who comes to Iceland is pretty keen make the most of their time here, and whether that means a week of carefree holiday meandering or a laser-guided approach to finding the best stuff, a couple of insider tips are always useful. In this fast-changing city, new places spring up from week to week, begging the questions: which pool has the best hot pot for your first morning here? Where’s the best Icelandic art at? And what’s the best road trip to see some of this amazing nature we’ve heard so much about?

Winner

i8
Tryggvagata 16
The i8 gallery shows a rich mixture of Icelandic and international artists, focussing largely on work with a conceptual edge. Their strong monthly programme is always on point, showing a constant stream of engaging work that confounds expectations, pushes at boundaries, and surprises with its wit and humour. They win for the third year running, despite a recent resurgence in the downtown Reykjavík gallery scene. Good job, i8!

Runners Up

Berg Contemporary
Klapparstígur 16
Of the new crop, Berg Contemporary caught the eye of our panel. This large, beautifully renovated space already has a strong roster of Icelandic artists on constant rotation. It’s right in the heart of downtown, too, so it’s easy to drop by for a look as you meander through the streets.

Ekkisens
Bergstaðastræti 25b
This energetic space, located in a former downtown basement flat, is resolutely DIY in nature. They show sparky, experimental work via group shows and happenings that present all kinds of work from recent graduates and young artists, including performance, fashion, painting, illustration, installation, sculpture and more.

Previous Winners

2016: i8
2015: i8
2014: Kling og Bang
2013: National Museum
2012: National Museum
2011: National Museum

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2017 magazine, posted worldwide, at gpv.is/buybestof.