Looking Inward, Looking Outward: 140 years of the National Gallery of Iceland

The 140th anniversary of the founding of the National Gallery of Iceland is marked by a new exhibition: Looking Inward, Looking Outward: 140 Years of the National Gallery of Iceland. The exhibition highlights important acquisitions from the collection by nearly 100 artists, including significant gifts to the museum and important purchase.  

The exhibition is organized around four main themes: Society and Community; Picturing the Self and Others; Form, Line and Colour; and Humans and Nature. Certain works of art look outwards – at the country, the artist’s immediate surroundings, society, or the world as a whole – and tend to provide a vision that gives rise to self-realisation for individuals and society. Other works of art look inward, exploring the self, history or cultural heritage, also open an outward view – a broader perspective on the world.  

Close to 200 works by nearly 100 artists are displayed, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, installations and book art. The collection history span the period from the founding of the museum in 1884 – when the collection comprised mainly works by Danish artists  – to the era of the pioneers of Icelandic art, Þórarinn B. Þorláksson and Jóhannes S. Kjarval, to the postwar period represented by Nína Tryggvadóttir and Louisa Matthíasdóttir, and to the era of avant-garde artists such as Magnús Tómasson and Sigurður Guðmundsson. New works will also be shown, including Melanie Ubaldo’s But You’re Too Tanned Though for an Icelander, a work that points to how artists are continuously addressing new subjects and developments in society. The works on display provide insight into the history of Icelandic art, from its beginnings until the present day, while an international dimension is also present in works by world-renowned artists such as Edward Munch, Pablo Picasso, Dieter Roth and Roni Horn. 

Þórdís Aðalsteinsdóttir (1975–), Anna Ancher (1859–1935) Michael Peter Ancher (1849–1927), Guðmunda Andrésdóttir (1922–2002), Birgir Andrésson (1955–2007), Unnar Örn Auðarson (1974–), Ragnar Axelsson - RAX (1958–), Hörður Ágústsson (1922–2005), Una Margrét Árnadóttir (1985–), Bragi Ásgeirsson (1931–2016), Anna-Eva Bergman (1909–1987), Olga Bergmann (1967–) Gunnlaugur Blöndal (1893–1962), Valgerður Briem (1914–2002), Elina Brotherus (1972–), Kristján Davíðsson (1917–2013), Ólafur Elíasson (1967–), Erró (1932–), Steingrímur Eyfjörð (1954–), Helgi Hjaltalín Eyjólfsson (1968–), Stephen Fairbairn (1947–), Áslaug Íris Friðjónsdóttir (1981–), Helgi Þorgils Friðjónsson (1953–), Gabríela Friðriksdóttir (1971–), Rósa Gísladóttir, (1957–), Valgerður Guðlaugsdóttir (1970–2021), Eyborg Guðmundsdóttir (1924–1977), Sigurður Guðmundsson (1942–), Páll Guðmundsson frá Húsafelli (1959–), Svavar Guðnason (1909–1988), Anna Hallin (1965–), Hans Hartung (1904–1989), Georg Guðni Hauksson (1961–2011), Gerður Helgadóttir (1928–1975), Sölvi Helgason (Sólon Íslandus) (1820–1895), Arnar Herbertsson (1933–), Roni Horn (1955–), Ráðhildur Ingadóttir (1959–), Eva Ísleifsdóttir (1982–), Robert Jacobsen (1912–1993), Sámal Joensen-Mikines (1906–1979), Asger Jorn (1914–1973), Margrét Jóelsdóttir (1944–), Rósa Sigrún Jónsdóttir (1962–), Katrín I. Jónsdóttir Hjördísardóttir (1982–), Gunnfríður Jónsdóttir, (1889-1968), Ásgrímur Jónsson, (1876–1958), Finnur Jónsson (1892–1993), Ríkarður Jónsson (1888–1977), Ragnar, Kjartansson (1976–), Jóhannes S. Kjarval (1885–1972), Erling Klingenberg (1970–), Frederik Theodor Kloss (1802–1876), Karl Kvaran (1924–1989), Ólafur Lárusson (1951–2014), Louisa Matthíasdóttir (1917–2000), Rakel McMahon (1983–), Megas (1945–), Edvard Munch (1863–1944), Sigurjón Ólafsson (1908–1982), Magnús Pálsson (1929–), Ágúst F. Petersen (1908–1990), Eggert Pétursson (1956–), Valtýr Pétursson (1919–1988), Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), Dieter Roth (1930–1998), Ragna Róbertsdóttir (1945–), Gunnlaugur Scheving (1904–1972), Sigga Björg Sigurðardóttir (1977–), Sigurður Árni Sigurðsson (1963–), Helgi Sigurðsson (1815-1888), Þorvaldur Skúlason (1906–1984), Jón Stefánsson (1881–1962), Júlíana Sveinsdóttir (1889–1966), Nína Sæmundsson (1892–1965), Anne Elise Thompson (1828–1912), Magnús Tómasson (1943–), Nína Tryggvadóttir (1913–1968), Melanie Ubaldo (1992–), Unknown artist (18th century), Bram van Velde (1895–1981), Victor Vasarely (1906–1997), Þór Vigfússon (1954–), Kees Visser (1948–), Bertha Wegmann (1847–1926), Þórarinn B. Þorláksson (1867–1924), Þorvaldur Þorsteinsson (1960–2013), Erla Þórarinsdóttir (1955–), Inga Svala Þórsdóttir (1966–)