Programme of the week
Announcement:
Opening Hours on June 17 🎈
Both buildings of the National Gallery of Iceland will be open as usual on Iceland’s National Day, June 17, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Everyone is welcome!
Final Exhibition Weekend
24-hour Screening of The Clock on the Summer Solstice 2025
The summer solstice marks the final exhibition weekend of Christian Marclay’s masterpiece The Clock at the National Gallery of Iceland. On this occasion, we are hosting a 24-hour screening of the work on the summer solstice, June 21st. The summer solstice screening of The Clock will run from 10:00 AM on Saturday, June 21st, until 5:00 PM on Sunday, June 22nd.
The work is an epic, 24-hour single-channel video installation with sound and is widely regarded as one of the most significant artworks of the 21st century. Marclay’s video is composed of thousands of film clips, each referencing a specific time — either through dialogue or visible timepieces. These countless fragments do not form a continuous narrative; instead, they create a near-surreal experience as we follow the events unfolding over the course of a full day.
Artist Talk with Christian Marclay here: Christian Marclay, The Clock: Samtal við listamanninn / Conversation with Christian Marclay - YouTube
About the exhibition: Christian Marclay, The Clock | Listasafn Íslands
Jóhannes S. Kjarval (1885–1972), Dyrfjöll, 1921, LÍ-ÞGIG 439
Kjarval in East Iceland
Opens June 17 at Skaftfell Art Center, Seyðisfjörður
Heading east this summer? Don’t miss the exhibition Kjarval in East Iceland, opening on Iceland’s National Day, June 17, at Skaftfell Art Center in Seyðisfjörður. The exhibition runs through October 4, 2025.
Organized by the National Gallery of Iceland in collaboration with Skaftfell, Art Center, this exhibition presents stunning landscape works by Jóhannes S. Kjarval (1885–1972), one of Iceland’s most beloved artists. Most of the works are from the collection of the National Gallery of Iceland.
Kjarval grew up in Borgarfjörður eystri and often returned to the area as an adult, drawing inspiration from the majestic East Icelandic landscape. The exhibition includes oil paintings, watercolors, and prints, spanning the years 1919 to 1960.
A perfect cultural stop on your summer journey east.
Facebook Event: (3) Sýningaropnun: Kjarval á Austurlandi / Exhibition opening: Kjarval in the East | Facebook
More: Kjarval in the East | National Gallery of Iceland
Embroidery Kit: Adam and Eve in Paradise, 1923 by Muggur
National Gallery of Iceland Museum Shop 2025
Unique Gifts at the National Gallery of Iceland Museum Shop
The National Gallery of Iceland’s museum shop is filled with high-quality, thoughtfully curated gift items. A wide selection is available in the online store, including books, greeting cards, jewelry, posters, and more.
Among the treasures in the museum shop is this beautiful embroidery kit, featuring details from a 1923 artwork by Guðmundur Þorsteinsson (Muggur), Adam and Eve in Paradise. The kit was created to mark the 100th anniversary of Muggur’s passing, commemorating one of the nation's most beloved artists.
His work ranges from landscapes and religious themes to folklore and fairytales. Although he passed away at only 32 years old, his legacy lives on. This unique embroidery kit, designed by the National Gallery of Iceland, offers you the opportunity to recreate one of Muggur’s final works.
Buy it here
Browse the webstore here
Only four spots left for the June art workshop!
The National Gallery of Iceland offers creative and fun summer workshops for children aged 7 to 9. The workshops run for either four or five days and are held in June and August 2025. This is the very last chance to secure a spot for June.
Three workshops will be held in June, and demand always exceeds the number of available spaces. The first two workshops are fully booked, but there are four spots left for the workshop taking place from June 23rd to 27th. 🎨
The workshops take place in the museum’s new art studio at Fríkirkjuvegur, where children will explore the museum's exhibitions and examine the artworks up close. Emphasis is placed on developing participants’ sense of color and form, while they work with a variety of materials and media such as painting and sculpture.
The goal of the workshop is to encourage children to approach art with confidence and curiosity through a combination of hands-on activities, discussions, and direct experience. At the end of the course, a small exhibition will be held for family and friends to showcase the children's creations.
Registration: Sumarnámskeið / Töfraverkstæðið | Frirvk Listasafn Íslands | Námskeið | Abler