Events

The National Gallery of Iceland offers a creative and exciting art course for children in its art workshop at Fríkirkjuvegur 7.

The course is inspired by the museum's exhibitions, where participants will explore the artworks while focusing on enhancing their color and form perception. Children will have the opportunity to use a variety of materials and work in different mediums such as painting and sculpture.

The aim of the course is to encourage children to approach visual art with greater confidence and curiosity. Teaching will take place through hands-on experiences, discussions, and artistic creation. At the end of the course, an exhibition will be held for friends and family to showcase the results of the children’s work.

Children should wear clothing suitable for painting, splashing, and having fun! The workshop is accessible to all.

Dates: January16th – April 10th, 2025
Time: Thursdays from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Age: 10–12 years old (children born 2013–2015)

Price: 53,000 ISK
20% sibling discount
Limited spots available, with 8–10 children per course.

Registration:

https://www.abler.io/shop/frirvk/listasafn/product/Q2x1YlNlcnZpY2U6MzQ4MDY=?

Required information for registration:

Child's full name

Child's ID number

Payer's full name and ID number

Full names and phone numbers of two guardians

Any additional relevant information (e.g., allergies or special needs)

Instructor: Marta María Jónsdóttir, artist and expert at the National Gallery of Iceland

Children's Culture Festival – The Trolls in the Mountains
April 12th, 14:00–16:00
We draw large trolls with the famous author Brian Pilkington and take a picture with the troll Tufta, who visits the main hall of the Museum during the Children’s Culture Festival.

Orla Valdemar Borch (earlier attributed to Jóhannes Kjarval), Lumpfish, no date LÍ-ÞGIG 2

Curator led tour – The Mystery of the Lumpfish and Other Stories of Fakes and Forgeries

Curator Dagný Heiðdal and conservator Ólafur Ingi Jónsson welcome guests to the exhibition The Mystery of the Lumpfish and Other Stories of Fakes and Forgeries. The exhibition examines fakes and forgeries that have come to light based on recent research. It traces how experts in the museum field authenticate objects in the collections that are under their care – a process that requires expertise in conservation science, art history, and connoisseurship.

Curator led tour – The Mystery of the Lumpfish and Other Stories of Fakes and Forgeries
April 23rd, 2 PM

Curator Dagný Heiðdal and Conservator Ólafur Ingi Jónsson welcome guests to the exhibition The Mystery of the Lumpfish and Other Stories of Fakes and Forgeries. The exhibition examines fakes and forgeries that have come to light based on recent research. It traces how experts in the museum field authenticate objects in the collections that are under their care – a process that requires expertise in conservation science, art history, and connoisseurship.

I Stood Outside in the Moonlight
April 26th, 14:00–16:00
We will explore Finnur Jónsson's artworks about  elves and the Elf Queen, as well as Óskasteinar (Wish Stones) by Björg Þorsteinsdóttir, which are on display in the Museum. Afterward, we will create our own sparkling wish stones that will last a lifetime. What do you wish for?

On the Street Corner of Poetry and Visual Art
April 27th
Reading and book launch in the reading room of the museum at Hverfisgata. The event will take place during the Reykjavík Literature Festival 2025.
Further details and timing will be announced later.

Conversation with the artist Christian Marclay
Conversation with artist Christian Marclay in the reading room of the Museum at Hverfisgata, in connection with the exhibition Christian Marclay The Clock at the National Gallery of Iceland.
The talk will be held in English.

The renowned masterwork The Clock (2010) will be shown at the National Gallery at Fríkirkjuvegur from May 2nd to June 22nd 2025. This is an epic, 24-hour single channel video with sound. Winner of the Golden Lion Award at the 2011 Venice Biennale and widely acclaimed as one of the most significant works of art of the 21st century, The Clock is both a profound meditation about time and an homage to the history of cinema. 

Artist led tour – Intimacies of the Everyday

Artist led tour with Orri Jónsson and Agnieszka Sosnowska through the group exhibition Intimacies of the Everyday. The exhibition features more than 60 photographs by renowned international contemporary artists, including Agnieszka Sosnowska, Joakim Eskildsen, Niall McDiarmid, Orri Jónsson, and Sally Mann. Curated by Pari Stave, head curator for exhibitions at the National Gallery of Iceland, the works in Intimacies of the Everyday were selected from discrete series within each artist’s practice and represent decades-long and ongoing preoccupations with photographing the people and places closest to home. The exhibition is organized around the unifying idea that certain images can only be achieved by close, attentive, and sustained observation.