The Children's Culture Festival at the National Gallery of Iceland opened yesterday in grand style, with two exhibitions on display in the Reading Hall of the House of Collections on Hverfisgata. The exhibitions share a common theme of dialogue and cultural diversity.
Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, honored the children with her presence and officially opened the exhibitions at a festive ceremony. The troll Tufti didn't miss the opening either and was met with great excitement from those in attendance.
We look forward to the coming week, as the exhibitions will be on view until and including April 13, during the museum’s opening hours from 10 AM to 5 PM.
“Stay and turn to stone!”
The collaboration between the National Gallery of Iceland and Ingunnarskóli began in the autumn of 2024, when children in the school’s Icelandic language support program were invited to visit the museum regularly throughout the winter as part of the project “Stand and turn to Stone.”
The project focused on cultural heritage—folktales and artworks connected to them. A key part of the project also involved sharing folktales from different corners of the world. Teachers from the school worked closely with the museum’s education department over the course of the project, with an emphasis on learning, creative art workshops, and positive museum experiences.
The group of students consists of children aged 10 to 16 who collectively speak 11 different languages. The artworks on display at the Children's Culture Festival are the result of this collaborative project between the National Gallery of Iceland and Ingunnarskóli. The project is supported by the Children's Culture Fund.
Language Friends in the Nordic Countries – The Art of Understanding Each Other
The project SPIN stands for Sprogvenner i Norden – kunsten at forstå hinanden (Language Friends in the Nordic Countries – the art of understanding each other). SPIN began in October 2024 and will run for two years. Participants include 6th-grade students from Melaskóli and Háteigsskóli in Reykjavík, along with their peers from Eysturskúlin in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, and Skovvangskolen in Aarhus, Denmark.
The aim of SPIN is to foster sensitivity to cultural diversity and promote inclusion. Through a variety of creative projects and artistic expression, the children deepen their understanding of their own linguistic and cultural backgrounds, as well as those of their Nordic peers.
The project is a collaboration between the National Gallery of Iceland, the Centre for Language and Literacy (Miðja máls og læsis), and Dokk1 in Aarhus. SPIN is led by project manager Kristín R. Vilhjálmsdóttir.
A total of 250 students have artworks on display in the exhibition, created through projects focused on identity and diversity.
Participating schools: Melaskóli, Háteigsskóli, Eysturskúlin in Tórshavn, and Skovvangskolen in Aarhus. The project is supported by Nordplus.
Krummi Kids’ Club
April 12
2 PM – 4 PM
Tufti the Troll visits the Culture House and Brian Pilkington will be drawing live!
Come and meet Tufti the Troll and his creator, Brian Pilkington. You’ll have the chance to take fun photos with the towering Tufti and explore a space filled with children’s folktale-inspired artworks created in and with the museum over the past months.
This event is supported by the Reykjavík Children's Culture Festival Fund.
